Grima - Nightside

Out of the wintery landscape of Russia hooded figures emerge. The duo known as Grima have signed with Napalm Records for their sixth full length album, and while this Atmospheric Black Metal band has rather flown under the radar since their inception in 2014, they’ve broken their usual 2 year release for an album that hopefully lives up the label’s hype. While Grima is a four piece live, the studio releases consist of Morbius on guitars and bass with Vilhelm also helping with those duties along with keyboards and vocals, though on “Nightside” it seems the band has employed more guests to help round things out, such as Serpentum on bass, Vlad on drums, Valentina on keyboards, and Sergey on bayan, a type of accordion. The result is something slightly different than what many might have expected that have followed Grima over the years. While the songs might not be as epic as before, sometimes more is less as the band has shyed away from Doom epic tracks of 9 minutes and opted for the more 2 to 7 minutes length ones. Less wintery and more majestic, it feels like the band is channeling Emperor and Blackbraid more than Immortal and Ghostbath than their previous efforts.

Starting out with atmosphere the lulling, near acoustic ‘Cult’ sets the stage for “Nightside.” Not one to shy from theatrics as the band does dress up in masks and almost shaman like clothing, there are some gimmicks with Grima but nothing near the typical corpsepaint and spikes that so many show off. The meat and potatoes of the album is embedded in ‘Beyond the Dark Horizon’ with its furious icy tones mixed with harsh vocals, bayan, tremolo picking galore, and overall that kind of Folk Black Metal style that hits hard and doesn’t let up. Usually in the past Grima would break things up with a small acoustic or soft interlude, but with the shorter tracks there’s no need for it as the band trucks right along in consistent fashion. The riffs are melodic and while the vocals somewhat have that pained shriek/ snarl to them that take some getting used to, they sound better than they did on the last record, especially when combined with the darker, throatier snarls. Bass is actually audible rather than buried by lo fi distortion and the guitar solos are somewhat melancholic Doom laden as they warble, but try to avoid the typical harsh, grating route.

The Doom atmosphere is more grandiose for Grima with “Nightside,” especially when considering the shift in tone with a track like ‘Flight of the Silver Storm’ which uses more bayan and almost has a Draconian feel to it versus usual winter blasting Grima. The accordion/ bayan use sometimes feels a bit overdone and blends with the riffs, but like Blackbraid and their use of flutes, one has to admire the band’s attempt to bring authenticity to the music and make it somewhat different. Maybe it is production wise, but compared to past results the extra instruments always seemed a bit ‘lost in the storm of sound.’ On this track they sound bold, and exciting- sometimes a bit too dramatic like the single released called ‘Skull Gatherers’- which features a short, tight, concise effort that would be the best ‘go to’ track for many who have never heard Grima before. It’s slow melancholic build feels like an avalanche coming, but the use of accordion shines very brightly despite the pace somewhat meandering and being less ferocious than some of the earlier tracks, and the vocals even somewhat seeming a bit lost in the storm as the guitars and bayan takes charge in dramatic fashion to convey a sense of morse along with the urgency of the Black Metal side.

Also trying to continue to embody the tropes of Atmospheric Black Metal, clean vocals are added in to make the music more interesting. Leaning more towards Folk and Doom, the track ‘Curse of the Void’ lumbers a bit like a White Walker in the snow, and the clean vocals are given preference in the mix as they sing in the natural Russian language which makes it more discernible versus when it is shrieked (and even the shrieked vocals get kicked to the back a bit when it happens). A raw and powerful track, the slower pieces always seem a bit more intriguing because they showcase some of the more beautiful moments. While the accordion is a bit buried when the vocals hit versus when the drums and guitars are just going, the plinking keys also shine more and overall that majestic atmosphere that Emperor entranced us with shines again, especially when the lower growls, clean vocals, and keys all come together for a strong close, which probably would have been more effective than the somewhat somber whisper of the ‘Outro’ to close the album. Some might feel the intro and outro parts are unnecessary breaks, but they help the ‘atmospheric’ side nonetheless.

Grima seems to have a hit or miss reaction to their albums starting with their debut, and fans should be happy that “Nightside” is another hit for them. While it sheds a lot of fat, the result is a lean but still full release that showcases the more unique parts of the band and puts them in their own niche versus being lumped into being another Marduk, Immortal or Emperor, though the album art and overall atmosphere can spark some similarities. While the formula of Atmoblack is a bit repetitive with the reliance/ focus on accordion along with drums, riffs, and vocals, it is more wintery than blaspheme, “Nightside” is a warming listen that won’t blast ears off fully, but don’t expect it to be a lulling Nocturnal Poisoning listen either (or a dungeon synth wanderlust like that of Summoning or Mortiis). A melodic blend of beauty and beast, the tracks here are lush with the right level of Atmospheric Black Metal that will make any woodsy walk worth listening to while trekking through the snow, leaves, or dirt. Grima certainly have earned their accolades with “Nightside.” Those who like projects such as Harikari for the Sky or even Saor might appreciate this release very much.

4.5 / 5 STARS