Rule Discordia: Abstract Nihilism

Originally founded by lead guitarist and vocalist Blake Judd as a side project, Chicago's Nachtmystium have been described as everything from black metal to psychedelic. Drawing their influence from bands like Darkthrone and Burzum, Nachtmystium released their debut album, Reign Of The Malicious, in 2002. Subsequent albums found the band taking their sound in a much more experimental direction, adding layers of keyboard sounds and synth to their songs. Judd describes 2004's Demise LP as the band's "last, straight forward 'raw black metal' record." The band's next two releases, 2004's Eulogy IV and 2006's Instinct:Decay, draw much more on influences from bands like The Doors, Black Sabbath, and Pink Floyd. Jason Bracelin, of Las Vegas Review-Journal, has even described their sound as, "what happens when Pink goes black." In 2008, Nachtmystium released Assassins: Black Meddle, Part 1, and embarked on a tour of the US with Opeth, Baroness, and High On Fire. Garnering critical praise from Pitchfork Media and MTV's Headbanger's Ball, Assassins has been described by Judd as the band's attempt to redefine their image within the music community. He states, " The idea of 'Assassins' is that an assassin kills, gets rid of, or destroys something. It's not directly about us. We want to assassinate all these preconceived notions about where the metal community feels we belong in music, and we want to do our own thing. And what we do is black meddle." The band's latest effort, titled Addicts: Black Meddle, Part 2, expands on their post-rock and industrial influences, at times channeling bands such as Ministry and The Killing Joke. Blending everything from black metal to jazz, Nachtmystium continue to push the boundaries of extreme music into new and interesting territory.