Greetings, you shadowed seekers of the Black Metal Archives—Sean here, still reeling from the sonic abyss of Nixil’s From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire. I cranked this beast today, and it’s like Baltimore’s glorious and historical streets birthed a ritual that tore through my skull, I say glorious and historical because I absolutely love Baltimore, so I stumbled onto this quintet via a late-night Spotify binge. This was released on August 25, 2023, and its six tracks are a relentless plunge into chaos—let’s crack this open and bleed it dry!
Nixil rose from Maryland’s underbelly in 2019, a five-headed hydra—C. (vocals), Shane (guitars), Alden (guitars, backing vocals), Aurora (bass, backing vocals), and Key (drums)—channeling black metal’s dark arts with a punk edge. From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire is their second full-length, a seething follow-up to 2021’s All Knots Untied, signed to Prosthetic Records.
“Collapsing the Poles” storms in like a mantra gone feral—guitars shriek with jagged tremolo, C.’s vocals a spectral howl that hooks me deep. Shane and Alden’s riffs twist like a collapsing orbit—I’m nodding hard, caught in its pull.
“In Thrall” shifts the tide, a frenzied blast where Aurora’s bass throbs like a heartbeat under Key’s relentless drums—my fists clench, swept into its manic grip.
“A Door Never Closed” slows the pulse, eerie and meditative, guitars weaving a hypnotic haze while C.’s wails pierce through—damn, it’s a trance that lingers.
The title track, “From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire,” is a jagged hymn—riffs churn with psychedelic venom, vocals snarling over a rhythm that feels like a bloodletting rite.
“Abyss Unto Abyss” dives deeper, a swirling void of dissonance and pace—I’m swaying, lost in its depths.
“The Way Is the Grave” seals it, a towering closer with chanted “Salve! Salve!” refrains, guitars and drums crashing like a final offering—leaves me breathless, staring into nothing.
Nixil’s sound is a jagged blade—Shane and Alden’s guitars meld crusty fury with cosmic drift, Aurora’s bass a steady growl beneath Key’s dynamic blasts. C.’s vocals shift from shrieks to chants, raw and commanding, tying it all into a chaotic whole. In black metal’s lineage, this echoes Mayhem’s weirdness, Blut Aus Nord’s atmospheric sprawl, and a punk snarl akin to early Darkthrone, but with a psychedelic streak that’s theirs alone. It’s abrasive, spiritual, and damn compelling—crank it loud, let it unravel you, and join me in this gnostic storm.
You dark wanderers, hit the comments—how did this album shred your reality? Stream it on Bandcamp and dive into the wound!
Stay unbound, you restless voids, and keep the fire raging!
RATING: 4 OUT OF 5
