Nyksta - Lieka Tik Sienos (2014)

Based out of Vilnius, Lithuania, Nyksta was formed out of the ashes of Dereliction in 2013, although the band is not seen as a continuation, but rather an entirely new entity. Lieka Tik Sienos is the bands debut full-length and to date only release, which has been made possible by, Inferna Profundus Records.

Labeled as post-black metal, the band takes the listener through a forty nine minute journey, while spinning tales of urban decay and nihilism, although all lyrics are wrote in their native tongue just to add a further degree of mystery to the recording.

With the music moving around speedier traditional black metal bursts to more mid-paced and posty ground, the band even occasionally taps into spacey prog rock territories, and ambient/noise on one track. What also really sets an interesting tone to the record is the presence of a saxophone during the later half of the record, which I didn't expect my first time through the album.

The overall mood is quite different from most black metal records, as well. Where everyone strives for that typical and almost sometimes played out, "evil" sound, Nyksta brings the listener into a gray despondent world filled with buildings suffering from structural damage, graffiti tagged on the walls, garbage littered everywhere and a sense of pain and sorrow in everyone's heart as acid rain rattles on top of the very bus shelter they are waiting in.

The vocals are delivered in a shouted/raspy voice, and again, they are all in Lithuanian, which makes me curious to know exactly what's being stated in them, although I prefer the enigma, all the same. The record is also properly produced, allowing all the instruments to do their thing, even the bass, although its not squeaky clean, and still has the underground production that black metal strives on. Although I do enjoy the album quite a bit, what I found to be lacking is a song that clearly stood out as the albums finest. I never have a problem listening to an album from start to finish as some simply are one big thing, but a sense of, even miniscule, of catchiness is never a bad thing either.

Regardless of a few minor aches, I found, Lieka Tik Sienos, to be an interesting album and a band with serious potential. If they can build upon the oppressive nature of their music and dig the listener even further down into their world of ruin, then I'm quite sure they'll be a notable name within the scene soon enough.