Algleymi
Algleymi makes Misþyrming's chaos clearer without making it harmless. The riffs remain sharp and twisted, but melodies receive more room and the rhythms change character more often. The Icelandic band keep their black metal intense while giving the songs greater freedom to choose their own direction.
Orgia establishes the mood with a fierce attack and high guitar lines that rise above the unrest. Melody does not remove the weight. It gives that weight a clearer shape. Keyboards work in the background, enlarging the atmosphere without moving the guitars into a supporting role.
Further in, the rhythmic approach loosens. The band can settle into a firm mid-tempo movement with an almost rock feel before raising the aggression again. These are clear differences that still belong to the same music. The riffs remain threatening enough to prevent the more accessible passages from feeling like an easy escape.
Hælið creates room as a short, gloomy instrumental pause. The break gives the heavier songs around it additional meaning. Near the end, Alsæla tightens the tension again through dominant guitars and breaks that briefly give the rage another colour. The title track then maintains that melodic darkness convincingly.
This is still music that asks for considerable attention. Dissonance and fierce delivery remain prominent. Misþyrming make the music easier to follow without removing every point of resistance.
That balance is Algleymi's main strength. The band combine a brutal attack, unusual harmonies and occasionally quite catchy movement into a connected album. They do not need maximum speed all the time to remain threatening. The changes make each return to force more convincing, giving the record a clear sense of purpose.
