More than 9 years have passed since their last album Noxkult. In that time they’ve participated in a 2018 split with Djevelkult and Kyy, and in 2021 they released a stunning long single named “Triumphant Silence of Void” (reviewed here) in tribute to the band’s former vocalist Iconoclast, who died earlier that year.
At last, Nihil Kaos have finished a new album named Mystagogue, which includes the performances of new vocalist Tleps (Acherad, Kyy) in addition to those of its other steadfast members. It will be released in the first quarter of 2025 by Mara Productions. It is described as “a harrowing journey into the chaos where the band was born and where we all shall return”: “The power of that chaos, the tragedy of it, the beauty and even the terror of it. From omega and back to omega.”
What we have for you today is the premiere of “Eternal Genesis,” the album’s closing track and the first song publicly revealed from Mystagogue.
The band chose this song to publish first as a way of embracing the cyclicality described above. Vocalist Tleps has said this about it: “As for ‘Eternal Genesis,’ the most important thing is that it is the first hint about the time to come. Especially after a decade with no new full length LPs. It is the first step of a forward-facing transformation.”
We’ve already called the music of Nihil Kaos “startling,” but in the case of “Eternal Genesis” that seems like a gross understatement. On the one hand, it’s blazing-fast and blistering in its intensity, both instrumentally and vocally, a representation of chaos that seems authentically berserk.
On the other hand, even when listening to this madness for the first time, you’ll discover its remarkable intricacies (though you’ll need to listen far more than once to fully appreciate them). The drums blast fast enough to test the limits of human endurance, but also swiftly shift patterns in a variety of ways. The bass performance is noticeably nimble and inventive, and thus takes no back seat to the extravagance of the guitarists.
Speaking of which, the riffing sears like a phalanx of blowtorches but also feverishly writhes and darts, and imperiously slashes with head-hooking effect, and the guitars also ecstatically swirl and miserably meander. Even the vocals transform, not only shrieking with unhinged abandon but also fervently chanting and ferociously howling.
Splendor emerges from the music, notwithstanding its derangement, and with about a minute left the music becomes even more mystical and exotic, as the guitars diabolically slither and chime in ways both seductive and sinister, though the song’s rhythmic and vocal intensity never back down.
And so: This is one of those rare songs that’s not only incendiary and insane but also complex, technically virtuosic, and even atmospheric. It uses its hyper-aggressiveness and unrelenting speed to generate an unearthly and even transcendental experience, a portrayal of transformation that’s glorious as well as frightening.
NIHIL KAOS is:
Eligos K.H.S – Guitars
Deathbed – Guitars
E – Drums
Tleps – Vocals
Semyaza – Bass
MYSTAGOGUE Track List:
1. Solemn Henosis
2. Path of the Winged Serpent
3. Synthamata: In Idolatry’s Echo
4. Exegesis of Transgression
5. Procession of Divine Demise
6. Pendulum Luciferi
7. A Hymn to Mass Graves
8. Under the Crepuscular Bythos
9. Eternal Genesis
MORE CREDITS:
Drums were recorded by Emre Bingöl at Mezar Studio. Guitars and bass were recorded by Can Gelgeç. Vocals were recorded by Eero Wuokko., who also contributed additional vocals on tracks 5 and 7. The album was mixed and mastered by Can Gelgeç and Emre Bingöl.
The stunning cover art was created by Belial NecroArts, and the the calligraphy by Entitatem Null Arts.
To stay abreast of more news about the new album and its release, follow Nihil Kaos via the clinks below.
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