{"id":28283,"date":"2025-09-17T19:20:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T19:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/28283\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T19:20:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T19:20:10","slug":"nexion-sundrung-review-angry-metal-guy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/28283\/","title":{"rendered":"Nexion – Sundrung Review | Angry Metal Guy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"I was late to the Nexion train when debut masterpiece Seven Oracles dropped five years ago. Peddling blackened death metal of the Icelandic persuasion, the occult quintet floored me with their writhing, twisted take on the genre, fronted by possibly the best vocalist in black metal right now. It\u2019s 2025, and a new Nexionic invocation approaches, looming over this world with a heart full of chaos and a mind consumed in shadow. Is it too much to ask this latest summoning, entitled Sundrung, to match the imposing, irresistible presence of its predecessor?<\/p>\n

Likely so, but Sundrung stands tall on its own regardless. In sound, scale, and style, Nexion\u2019s concoction carries over to 2025 unadulterated. Every ingredient that made Seven Oracles the unmistakable omen that it was persists here with equal potency. Pummeling drums propel shimmering black metal riffs and deathly marches, while Nexion\u2019s infernal siren screeches, roars, wails, and rumbles as only the most powerful spirits of unknown realms can. With a stronger emphasis on throat singing, baritone chanting, and ascendant melodies than before, Nexion doubles down on their occult theme and aesthetic while also recalling Sulphur Aeon<\/a>\u2018s eldritch touch (\u201cVisions of the Seventh Fire\u201d). Sundrung also retains the gnarled, deceptively hooky metamorphoses that characterized Nexion\u2019s previous work. However, a greater reliance on repetition and more linear structures drives deeper those key phrases and memorable moments that form the backbone of Sundrung\u2019s 8 realms.<\/p>\n

Sundrung by Nexion<\/a><\/p>\n

Sundrung may be more straightforward than Seven Oracles in most respects, but it requires quality time to bloom. At first, I was concerned that the repetitive nature of \u201cGandr\u201d sacrificed too much focus from the whole, and created a lull in momentum. However, in remarkably short order I found myself hypnotized by its compelling chorus chants and oscillating riffs. A surprise to be sure, but it\u2019s not the only one. \u201cWhen Raven Steals the Sun\u201d and \u201cRending the Black Earth\u201d at first left me wanting for more creativity, something that elevated these pieces beyond that of what I already expect from Icelandic black metal. Once again, repeat spins revealed subtleties. In \u201cWhen Raven Steals the Sun,\u201d for example, intricately detailed and intentionally placed background melodies\u2014often burgeoning through the fiery tremolos, bending riffs, and charred rasps\u2014simultaneously fortify connections and ease transitions between distinct passages. Meanwhile, \u201cRending the Black Earth\u201d intensified the more often I returned, blazing with an unearthly vitality and an unhinged spirit that invigorates its epic trem-picked refrains and double-bass pummels. Consequently, these numbers slowly became some of my favorites over time.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

On the other side of the same coin, those cuts that attack with immediacy and power always ensure memorability, but compromise a small measure of depth and nuance in exchange. Opener \u201cUflarpaspa\u201d and album highlight \u201cHymn of the Valkyrjur\u201d are the most successful in navigating this tricky balance. The former makes a magnificent opener, showcasing everything that Nexion does well, with a little extra aggression to keep things interesting. The latter, a momentous march with a face-twisting riffset built for the stage, \u201cHymn of the Valkyrjur\u201d offers instant hooks without disposing those unfolding deviations from repetition that set Nexion\u2019s material apart from the pool. However, they still lack the same surprising level of detail that makes \u201cWhen Raven Steals the Sun,\u201d \u201cGandr,\u201d and even epic closer \u201cVisions of the Seventh Fire\u201d such a joy to spend extra time with.<\/p>\n

In sum, Sundrung has the potential to challenge listeners as often as it will delight them. Certainly one of the more interesting records to come from the Icelandic scene, it offers a varied combination of immediacy and nuance. But it takes patience and focus to perceive those attributes. Some listeners\u2014especially those who are not duty bound to spin records a dozen times before settling on a score\u2014might not want to put that effort in. I argue that you ought to anyway. It may not be flawless, nor is it quite as universally successful as Seven Oracles, but Sundrung is nonetheless worthy of enthusiastic recommendation.<\/p>\n

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: V0 mp3
Label: Avantgarde Music<\/a>
Websites: nexion.bandcamp.com<\/a> | facebook.com\/Nexionband<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: September 19th, 2025<\/p>\n

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