Með Hamri

Iceland does it again

This is the third album by Misthyrming. These guys arrived in 2015 fully formed and ready to dominate with their debut album Songvar Elds og Oreidu which I believe translates to songs of fire and chaos. My Icelandic is a little rusty. Anyway the album went criminally unnoticed then which is not surprising given the glut of excellent releases that year by more established names. But make no mistake the album crushed (review forthcoming). Four years later Misthyrming returned with Algleymi which in my humble opinion was the best black metal album of 2019. The title track that closes the album is one of the best songs I've ever heard metal or otherwise. It garnered many glowing reviews and gave Misthyrming the attention they deserved. Now three years later we get Med Hamri, another killer record form start to finish.
Opening the album with the title track this time, Med Hamri (with a hammer) absolutely lives up to it's name. Fast, ferocious, and pummeling it perfectly sets the tone for what follows. Med Harmi (with regret) follows. It slows the pace slightly while establishing some melody and atmosphere. Up next is Engin Miskunn (No Mercy). Enough said. Engin Vorkunn (No Pity) comes next. Are you starting to get it? Blodhefnd (Blood Revenge) is absolutely awesome as well as closer Aftaka (Execution). The songs are extremely well crafted and crushingly heavy. I'm having trouble finding out the names of the band members which isn't surprising in black metal, nonetheless their talent is undeniable. The vocals especially stand out. Not screechy or generic but truly terrifying. Med Hamri is another triumph for Misthyrming.