Nidingr count members (and ex-members) of Mayhem, God Seed and Dødheimsgard amongst their number but these Norwegians are more than the sum of their parts. The High Heat… is a furious take on blackened death metal and despite the overtly heavy riffs and gruff vocals from one Cpt. Estrella Grasa, this follow-up to 2012’s Greatest Of Deceivers is drenched in Norse mythology and history. Surtr is thrilling and catchy and On Dead Body Shore has a guitar line and chorus that won’t leave your head for days. Gleipnir takes the mood down a notch into gloomier territory but the weight of Teloch’s guitar overlays the song in distinctive tones while the track moves from heavy passages to curious spoken-word sections. There’s a small moment to catch breath before Sol Taker steps into view and rages forth on pummelling drums and off-kilter, almost Portal-like rhythms from the guitars. Naglfar Is Loosed adds another dimension to the record with an ethereal appearance from Myrkur to close out this album’s forceful invocation of historical forces.
