Introduction
Nexorum is a blackened death metal band from the Norwegian city of Trondheim. Despite being a new addition to the scene, the band members bring a wealth of experience from other extreme metal groups like Keep of Kalessin, Vredehammer, and Cor Scorpii.
In 2020, Nexorum released their debut album, Death Unchained, which received heaps of praise from fans. Their latest release, Tongue of Thorns, leans more toward the black metal sound and is available on both CD and vinyl through Non Serviam Records.
After listening to this impressive new release a few times, my review is ready.
Tongue of Thorns
Tongue of Thorns is a 45-minute album containing nine furious tracks ranging from four to six minutes long. The themes presented on the tracks include religion, death, demons, and blasphemy. This fast and heavy-hitting album has deep ties to death metal.
The opening track, “Shun,” begins with a calm guitar that leads into a hard wall of thundering drums and deep-screaming vocals. Terje’s vocals are rooted in death metal but also bear influence from the black metal sound.
Nexorum has crafted some great riffs on this album. The riffs are chuggy, heavy, and very hooking. There are beautiful, melodic guitar sections and solos on the tracks, creating a fine interlude between the verses.
Tracklist
- Shun
- Solvet Saecium in Favilla
- The Pestilential Wind
- Elegy of Hate
- Cult of the Monolith
- Eldritch Abominations
- Sinnets Krig
- Mother of Ghouls
- Wrath of Zeal
The sixth track, “Eldritch Abominations,” features an ambient synth while the guitars create a feeling of being in space. It sends the listener on a journey to the Star Wars universe for a little while. The music complements the song’s lyrics extremely well.
While Tongue of Thorns is a great album, it would benefit from more songs in Norwegian. “Sinnets Krig,” the seventh track, is the only song sung in Norwegian and immediately stands out to me as a fan of Norwegian black metal. It conveys the black metal sound more than the other tracks. More of this for faen!
Highlights
There are several brutal tracks on this album that deserve recognition, making it difficult to pick just one. However, listeners who want a good taste of the album should check out the impressive eighth track, “Mother of Ghouls.” It covers all aspects of Nexorum’s sound with its massive sound, catchy riffs, and the overall skill of the musicians.
Conclusion
Tongue of Thorns is a great album that takes Nexorum deeper into the blackened sound. I’m interested in seeing how the band will evolve with their future releases. I highly recommend this grim album to listeners who enjoy bands like Vredehammer, Mork, and Blood Red Throne.
BMZ Score: 8 / 10
Links
Bandcamp: Tongue of Thorns | Nexorum
Facebook: Nexorum | Trondheim | Facebook
Instagram: Nexorum @nexorum.official
Merch: Nexorum – Non Serviam Records
Youtube: Nexorum – YouTube
Metal Archives: Nexorum – Encyclopaedia Metallum
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