Album review: Ninkharsag – The Black Swords of Winter
Band: Ninkharsag
Album: The Black Swords of Winter
Label: Vendetta Records
Release date: March 7th, 2025
Country: The United Kingdom
Format reviewed: High quality digital recording
Album review: Ninkharsag – The Black Swords of Winter via Vendetta Records by #Ioana
As I am sitting here thinking of a way to put together this review, I will start by saying this: Listen The Dread March of Solemn Gods before you delve into this EP. Since it is essentially a continuation of its aforementioned predecessor, I would say that the musical context makes more sense when you have an idea of what is done on The Dread March. That being said, this ain’t set in stone, so feel free to do as you will.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get into it. Ninkharsag latest EP is nothing short of a masterclass in melodic black metal, without falling into excessive Dissection worship, even though the influence is there (as it should be). This EP is brimming with great riffs, intricate patterns, a dark, dramatic flair and of course, a wonderful vocal performance. The only drawback are the all over the place song durations, which vary greatly from 2 to 7 minutes, but that’s just me being nitpicky and annoying. Thus, without further ado, let’s get into it.
The album opens up with “Wolf Moon Acclamation”, an intro track with the sole purpose of getting the listener invested in what there is to come. The track makes great use of melodic crescendo guitar riffs to create tension, while also including some of the musical patterns and ideas that will be included throughout the record. Overall it does a great job setting the tone for what is to come, without getting overcrowded with elements.
The fun begins with “The Black Swords Of Winter”. A quick drum fill breaks the tension in the intro, before unleashing a musical whirlwind of riffs and blast beats, laced with epic melodies and soaring, expressive high pitched screeches. I am a big fan of how the song blends epic and sinister sounding structures in order to create a storytelling sensation. The gorgeous album cover plays a big part in emphasizing that fantasy mood as well, both in terms of subject and graphics. I also greatly enjoy the interplay between the two guitars and how they compliment eachother, working as a sort of musical dialogue.
The drumming is also fairly diverse and the execution and control are top notch. The vocals, as I said, are very expressive and do a great job at highlighting the lyrical work of the EP. Of course, the guitar solos come as the cherry on top. You rarely get anything on that level of proficiency is this music genre. All musical ideas presented are used and developed to their full potential, thus making the track very satisfying to listen.
“The Serpent Of The Void” is one of two short tracks on the record. Spanning a little over two minutes, it is an undoubtedly dynamic composition, marked by the same qualities as its predecessor. The only issue is that most musical elements, despite being well placed and used, are left fairly undeveloped, due to the short duration. For example, I would have loved to hear more of that mid-paced section in the middle of the song, the shift back to the fast-paced tempo being very abrupt, ending the song a little too fast for its own good. That being said, it is still a great piece of music, and one that I found myself coming back to more than I expected.
“Beyond The Ancient Crypts Of Sorrow” is the second of the short tracks, and it partially solves that pacing and development issue mentioned before by being an instrumental track. Personally, I love instrumental songs, particularly when they follow the previously established sound and aren’t simple acoustic interludes, and trust me when I say, this is one delicious instrumental. The lead guitar work isn’t just good, it’s flawless, and that Storm of the Light’s Bane flair is the perfect addition, the song carrying further that cold, stormy essence that I just can’t get enough of. This is proof of how well versed in their craft all Ninkharsag members are, and that says something.
“The Grave Sworn Lords” brings back some of those more complex ideas that graced the title track, making great use of slower moments in order to create contrast with the fast ones and put the vocals in the spotlight. For some reason, this makes me think of Sheol/Harvest era Naglfar, but with a twist, and once again, I am all for it. Those vortex-like riffs are to die for, and when paired with the blast beats, it’s pure pleasure to hear. All of this just makes the slow moments feel much more interesting and grandiose, so, an undisputed win-win situation.
The album closes up with “Beneath The Cloak Of Nightfall”, the undisputed opus of this record, and here is where that Naglfar influence really begins to shine. Pair that with the band’s incredible songwriting skills and those Dissection flairs, and you’ve got yourself a song that you’ll wish you could listen to for the rest of your life. It is power in music format, pure and simple. One of the most interesting moments takes place around the middle of the song, when a quick piano moment suddenly moves into the solo, which then ends on a second of silence, before the listener is once again placed into the eye of the storm. For those who decided to ignore my advice from the beginning of this review, you might as well start here, as this track is guaranteed to ignite your interest for the rest of the band’s discography.
That being said, I can safely say that I’ve never had an EP blow my mind like this, at least not in the last two years. Some pacing knick-knacks aside, this is a true gem, and I refuse to hear otherwise. I highly recommend you give it a listen, as there’s a good chance you’ll find yourselves in my position. 9.5/10
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