Black Somnia is the sophomore release from blackened avant doom act Eye of Nix, just released on the newly launched Scry Recordings. Led by the intriguing vocals of Joy Von Spain, Eye of Nix conjure up bleak musical landscapes littered with more than a little black metal styled maniacal sensibilities. Opening track "Wound and Scar" sets the pace for the rest of the album, as a ponderous doom pace builds the foundation with Von Spain's shrieking vocals and plenty of blast beats spewing in all sorts of directions. "Fear's Ascent" takes a more laid back approach, the vocalist crooning in more operatic tones over lush, textured guitar chords, while the spooky "A Curse" is pure occult rock at its finest, the vocals floating in and out of a haze of psychedelic doom arrangements. After the pounding dirge that is "Lull", the haunting "Toll On" takes the listening on an intoxicating journey, and features Von Spain's best vocals on the album, ethereal for most of the song before she becomes violent towards the conclusion. The final track, "A Hideous Visage", contains some of Black Somnia's most nightmarish sounds on the album, as doom once again collides with avant-black metal for a truly unsettling listening experience.
I can easily say that Black Somnia won't be for everyone, but Eye of Nix certainly have put together something truly different here, and in a time when there's so much cookie cutter music, that's certainly something to commend. A band to keep your eye on for sure.
Track Listing
1. Wound And Scar 07:17
2. Fear's Ascent 05:48
3. A Curse 06:00
4. Lull 06:23
5. Toll On 07:11
6. A Hideous Visage 08:37
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