Eye of Nix - Ligeia (2020)

Creating a truly unique and immersive sound, today we have Seattle’s Eye of Nix and their latest full-length opus “Ligeia”. Borrowing elements from every single band we know, this band crafts a very dense atmosphere that is flanked by Black Metal, Doom and even some Progressive onslaughts. Only for those that like to dissect music and listen to an album on repeat non-stop for a few weeks, this band rewards patience with unparalleled musical brilliance.

The album sets out with a very mellow progression as “Concealing Waters” slowly warms up the listener with crafty percussions and Joy Von Spain dreamy clean vocals. However, the pace quickly picks up with furious Black Metal onslaughts thrown into the mix. This interesting interplay of very aggressive passages with dreamy interludes gives the band a dynamic sound that keeps the listener always on the edge, as on brilliant tracks like: “Pursued” and the haunting “Tempest”.

For such a complex musical style, Eye of Nix excels at delivering short but effective tracks. Like a journey through the different circles of hell, each song contains unique atmospheric components to fully immerse the listener into the band’s world. As the cavernous “Keres” ripps through the listener’s psyche, other pieces like the album title track keep a chaotic pace, with incisive guitars and blistering drums. It is quite interesting how all these disparate elements come together quite well and feel very cohesive as the releases progresses.

Saving the best for last, the band closes with the creepy “Adrift” and the ritualistic “Stone & Fury”. Reminding us a bit of Dismal Euphony, Eye of Nix is one intense band that is very hard to peg down. In “Ligeia” the band continues their musical exploits with 45 minutes of masterfully crafted atmospheric music that is both intense and creepy at the same time. If you are open minded and like experimental releases that dip into many genres, this release will certainly keep you entertained for days on end.

Label: Prophecy Productions

Release: June 19th, 2020

Genre: Experimental Metal

Country: Austria