History
Reviews
NIFELHEIM - SERVANTS OF DARKNESS - BLACK SUN
Sweden's Nifelheim is back having left Necropolis Records, having ditched a couple of members because they were tame enough to have girlfriends, seen a couple of Dissection members come and go, endured jail time, participated in another project called Pagan Rites and a Headbangers Against Disco 7' and is still delivering the most no-frills black thrash metal since the first three Bathory and first two Sodom releases. A Nifelheim album sounds like three Swedish necrophiliacs have rushed a studio, bashed the equipment at 200kph and captured a disparate black metal attack promoting primitive hate on tape. Oh yeah, it's good! The riffs recall Under The Sign...era Bathory and see the appearance of several NWOBHM and early Mortal Sin solos to boot. Simple and pounding, my only worry is that the guitars occasionally have a synthesized twang to them - remember early Bathory again? Otherwise this is the best test devised to ascertain how much metal grit you really possess. - Ali "The Metallian"
NIFELHEIM – ENVOY OF LUCIFER – REGAIN 
Here at Metallian Towers a general formula has held true for years now. According to that principle, when it comes to Scandinavia, bands from Denmark do not last, bands from Finland are not even funny, bands from Norway are wimpy Depeche Mode hags, while Sweden rules all with molten metal. Case in point is the veteran act Nifelheim whose return after a long hiatus is a triumphant tribute to true black metal.
As if on cue, to fill the gap on the scene for noisy mayhem, Nifelheim returns with its first album since 2000’s Servants Of Darkness to spread simple, fast, attitude-ridden black metal through songs like Evocation Of The End, Open The Gates Of Damnation and Storm Of The Reaper. The album’s trump card remains the opener, Infernal Flame Of Destruction, which is a barnstorming excellent piece of musical onslaught if not a tribute to Germany’s Destruction! It comes as no surprise that members of Necrophobic perform double duty in Nifelheim. This is the type of purity that runs through Nifelheim. Having said that, the group shows plenty of HM influences with constant references to bands like Iron maiden or Motörhead. The song Claws Of Death – probably one of the album’s weaker tunes – even gets technical on the listener mid-way with a nod to Voivod or whatever. The vocals croak as if hailing from Germany circa 1986.
Dimwit Burger fans or Children Of Bottom groupies won’t warm up to this, but metal fans will because the latter get it. – Ali “The Metallian"
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