NYIÞ – ᚢᛁᛋᚿᛁ•ᚼᛆᛏᛁ•ᚼᚱᛅ (Album – Cyclic Law)

Genre/Influences: Experimental, Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Cinematic.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: NYIÞ is an Icelandic project you pronounce as ‘Neeth’. After several self-released productions this album is the official debut album featuring a selection of ‘older’ cuts.
The set brings together the project’s first four releases from 2011 to 2019 united on one album: the tape trilogy “Til eru hræ sem hafa aldrei verið menn og munu aldrei verða þó þau lifi enn” (2011), “Hati þá guð og helgir englar allir” (2012) and “Visni þitt hold svo betur megi hæfa þeim hug sem það hýsir” (2014), plus “Caput Mortum” (2018). Cyclic Law issued it as a 2CD edition of 300 copies in an 8-panel digisleeve with matt lamination.
Content: The sound universe of NYIÞ represents a wide sonic canvas which is however driven by darkness and oppressive atmospheres. They can be now into dark reverie accentuated by trumpet play and next into a personal interpretation of Folk mixed with Industrial elements. The Industrial exponent is next accentuated by guitar play reminding me of early Swans. The last part of the album evolves into Dark-Ambient and obscure cinematic passages.
+ + + : The work takes off by a great and original track with a brilliant trumpet sound which comes back into other cuts as well. “Hati Þá Guð Og Helgir Englar Allir” is another attention grabber with this magic trumpet sound. But I especially salute the open-minded approach of this project which is hard to label although related to familiar, darker, styles. You’ll also notice passages with vocals and chants accentuating the dreamy darkness of the work.
– – – : The work sounds a bit versatile as well and that’s maybe the tracks have been composed over different years.
Conclusion: NYIÞ is a particular project meant to entertain dark souls.
Best songs: “Decompose”, “Hati Þá Guð Og Helgir Englar Allir”, “Rót”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/NYIÞ-919034964844185
Label: www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw
About NYIÞ
NYIÞ, pronounced ‘Neeth’, is an Icelandic act whose music has been described as doom metal, drone rock and progressive rock alongside its dark ambient and industrial elements. Its first four releases appeared between 2011 and 2019 and were originally self-released.
Three of them formed a tape trilogy: “Til eru hræ sem hafa aldrei verið menn og munu aldrei verða þó þau lifi enn” in 2011, “Hati þá guð og helgir englar allir” in 2012 and “Visni þitt hold svo betur megi hæfa þeim hug sem það hýsir” in 2014. The fourth, “Caput Mortum” from 2018, breaks with the trilogy and carries no lyrical content.
The French label Cyclic Law collected all four on the 2CD album reviewed here, the first NYIÞ release to appear on a label.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

