Artist: Nihil Invocation
Country: USA
Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions
Formats: LP / Cassette tape
Year: 2022
Although the cassette tape version of Nihil Invocation’s fourth album was already released about a year earlier, the vinyl edition only appeared a week ago – most likely due to today’s extremely long turnaround times at the vinyl pressing plants. But, frankly, this sort of music is best be experienced on an analogue sound carrier, so that means you had to settle for the cassette tape or you had to exercise some patience. But, if you are into the most stripped down form of primitive and punk-fuelled Black Metal, this it might have well been worth the wait.
Deathwalker, the illustrious figure behind Nihil Invocation, has pulled off some bleak and bareboned riffs to feast upon. His musical approach to the genre is still the very same, but it seems things have again been pushed to some new extremes when it comes to its barrenness. It even seems that has been slowing things down another notch, going even further into that spartan Darkthrone punk era with some obvious elements of Ildjarnian austerity. The genre’s narrow tunnel of possibilities make it emphasize the riffs even more, so that is also where the power of Nihil Invocation lies. A strong riff-based sort of ultra-primitivism that, with all its illiberality, is best kept short and lethal, which is also the case with this album that clocks well under the 25 minute mark. This way it preserves its powerful magic as well as its punchy energy. The last track, by the way, has an almost Middle-Eastern sort of melody and a rather compelling piece of clean vocal delivery, proving that there, after all, is a bit of a loophole in the genre to add just a tiny bit of welcome and refreshing experiment.
