Arde from Berlin, Germany were already featured on the pages of this webzine with their last release. This time, they just let out a split opus with Spanish horde called Nakkiga. This one contains three conceptual songs by Nakkiga and only one almost fifteen minute long song by Arde called ‘Basalarr’, the name of the song is offering ancient mystical plant, that has life and strength and is very important to Basque culture. The song itself starts atmospheric and slow rolling, turning into fast blast beats, aggressive black metal screams, bordering with anguish and desperate cries and guitar work not unlike nineties old school black metal riffing. Then song later evolves again into atmospheric ambiental piece with guitars, wind swipes and chimes taking you into some other dimension and delivering calm and darkness into you, but also giving you strength to close your eyes, take a deep breath and go on with your life battling your inner demons successfully. So, although it is one long song, it could easy be divided into couple of different songs but it does not get boring for a second. Nakkiga side consists of three conceptual songs about the birth cycle of life, mixing pure black metal assault with aggression and melancholic melody, but also giving it a breath of crust punk attack in both bands’ music. I love the epic guitar work for example in ‘Denbora’, love the production and the sound wall that Nakkiga creates and I can only imagine how mighty this sounds live. Hopefully I will witness it one day. Vocals are tortured screams, but not too extreme, just the way I like it. This is one hell of a mighty black metal release.

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