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This German band has been around since 2014 and, unlike many of their black metal brethren, have a tidy discography with just a demo, an EP and two full-length albums, with this one, Skuld, their second. Their sound is based on the second-wave blueprint with tremolo picking, lightning-fast drums, and tortured howling, but the band also has a keen ear for melody. Even the tremolo picking, as cold and icy as it is, doesn't wander into dissonance. There is traditional heavy metal riffing incorporated into some of Nornír's songs, "Dedicated to the Night" for example, and with the high percussion reminds me a little bit of King Diamond, but mostly I hear a lot of Immortal and mid-period Bathory in their approach. The acoustic pieces (the opening to "Helvegen") and clean singing ("Vigr") give the album an epic, pagan vibe which adds a lot of depth to the listening experience. The howling of singer Lethian tops everything off perfectly, being even more haunting and creepy because they are female. If you dig well-crafted black metal that is melodic and a bit epic but not overly sprawling, Skuld is an album you should check out.