Naðra’s Allir Vegir Til Glötunar is the First Great Black Metal Album of 2016

Get ready to be annoyed while you try to figure out how to make that “ð” character on your keyboard — Iceland’s Naðra are fucking great, so you’ll be typing their name a lot.

The band’s debut album, Allir Vegir Til Glötunar (“All Paths to Oblivion”), is, in a word, “expansive.” I can’t tell what the hell vocalist/guitarist Tómas Isdal is screaming about, since all the lyrics are in Icelandic, but his tortured, guttural cries suggest he’s experiencing a level of agony on par with being made to attend the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival. But the music itself isn’t afraid to veer slightly towards the more melodious side, and a constant wall of droning guitars and choral backing vocals create a gloriously immersive atmosphere. If you’re hip to MetalSucks’ favorite French black metal band, Celeste, you have some idea what you’re in for.

Check out the track “Sár” from Allir Vegir Til Glötunar below and experience the majesty that is Naðra for yourself. The album comes out January 22 on Vánagandr, Fallen Empire and Signal Rex.