ALMYRKVI – PUPIL OF THE SEARING MAELSTROM MLP (Ván Records)

I met Garðar S. Jónsson outside Willemeen in Arnhem, Netherlands on Sunday evening. Seemed like a really nice person. When I encountered him again, four hours later, he was on stage with Slidhr, helping Jo out as live bass player. Then he put on some corpsepaint before returning to the stage with Sinmara, playing guitar. Seemed like a really demonic individual now…

The Dimensional Nomads gig was awesome and, on the flight home, I started to think about how amazing this collective of musicians is – Svartidauði, Sinmara, Slidhr, Wormlust, Myrkr, Rebirth Of Nefast, Haud Mundus – and how interlinked they are. Such a convergence of incredible Black Metal.

I had forgotten all about the Almyrkvi MLP, ‘Pupil Of The Searing Maelstrom’, which is actually the work of Garðar alone. The record is 26 minutes long and it’s something of a curveball as it sounds more like Blut Aus Nord than any of the aforementioned hordes. But – predictably – it is astonishingly good and showcases the versatility and sheer excellence of one of Black Metal’s most potent (and dead on) forces right now.

Evilometer: 666/666