Bio
As ash, as dust, as death.
Recent Prosthetic Records signees NIXIL are preparing to embark on the next chapter of their existence with their sophomore album, From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire, due out on August 25. The Baltimore, Maryland group’s second full-length treads a spiritual path toward liberation through abyssal exploration, from the microcosmic to the macrocosmic. Expanding on their pursuit of liberation, NIXIL share: “From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire is the manifestation of will of five individuals in collaboration, clawing toward catharsis and escape from the oppressive grasp of this rotting society. It is about finding power through adversity and the increase of spirit that can be gained through the intentional death of what our feeble human minds perceive as "Self." It is also a magickal act, containing hymns of rebellion and strength in honor of the teachers and muses along the ever winding path toward liberation.” Having made their presence known with their 2021 debut, All Knots Untied, NIXIL has steadily garnered a loyal following through live appearances across the United States - sharing stages alongside Hulder, Evoken, Molder, Yatra, and an appearance at Maryland Deathfest 2022 along the way. Time spent on the road served to sharpen their collective musicianship and fully realise NIXIL’s desire for collaborative unity and authenticity within the group ahead of From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire’s creation. NIXIL’s scorched earth approach to black metal’s sonic extremities offer a radical alternative to secular approaches to, and readings of, their craft. Where All Knots Untied was an introductory affair for the quintet, 2023 sees the band further expand upon concepts of chaos gnosticism, ego-death, self-empowerment and freedom. With an attentive and explicit focus on the spiritual, NIXIL continues: "Our music is apolitical in the sense that we refuse to acknowledge the validity of any political system that seeks to take control over our lives. We are fervently antifascist as a steadfast statement of self and community defense, and as a rallying call: our lives are not up for a vote, and no one has the right to determine the worth of our existence."
After solidifying their line-up in its current form, with the arrival of guitarist / backing vocalist Alden, NIXIL opted to record From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire live at Magpie Cage Recording Studio with J. Robbins. The resulting six songs seethe with a frenzied despair, whilst more ominous passages breathe with a disquieting existential terror in every percussive and rhythmically meditative trance, exactly as the band intended to capture before handing mastering duties to James Plotkin. On the lead single, Collapsing the Poles, NIXIL adds: “Collapsing the Poles is our siren song, heralding the breaking of the chains of demiurgic oppression through the recognition and eradication of the restrictive tendencies within the self (microcosm), allowing for the advancement of adversarial energy outward toward the seemingly unshakably oppressive forces of That Which Is (macrocosm). It is also an invocation of Void, creating a sacred space for all that which we seek to put out into the world, and a reminder that even in the moments where it seems unreachable, freedom is always worth fighting for.” NIXIL’s latest offering is more than invocation and manifestation alone, From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire is an invitation for those shackled by earth and flesh to dispel from regressive human made traditions and misplaced guilt and shatter the illusion of a self.
NIXIL is:
C.: vocals
Key: drums
Aurora: bass, backing vox
Alden: guitar, backing vox
Shane: guitar
\S/\A/\K/\C/A/
From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire
August 25th 2023 on Prosthetic Records
Reviews of From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire
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Invisible Oranges
“The album has exquisite dramatic timing, with melee verses following chanted bridges and swells of dueling guitars. In sum, this is "traditional" black metal done right and without the taint of noxious politics." - Colin Williams, Invisible Oranges
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Distorted Sound Magazine
“This is genuinely one of those albums that could appeal to a broad range of black metal fans, and with any luck this is a trend that is only set to continue with whatever NIXIL have in store next. 9/10" - Danny Sanderson, Distorted Sound Magazine
https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-from-the-wound-spilled-forth-fire-nixil/
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PopMatters
“Nixil play a heady, cosmic-feeling take on traditional black metal, deconstructing and reassembling the genre’s usual tropes into something that can be best described as occult psychedelic journeys”. - Antonio Poscic, PopMatters "Best of August 2023”
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The Soundboard
“Baltimore’s Nixil hit those notes on this warping second LP, also exploring gnosticism, adversarial forces, existential validation and sacred spaces for their own vibrant take on the genre’s creative form of dread.” - Elliot Burr, The Soundboard
https://thesoundboardreviews.com/2023/08/24/album-review-nixil-from-the-wound-spilled-forth-fire/
All Knots Untied
Released March 5th 2021
Reviews of All Knots Untied
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Toilet OV Hell
”All in all, All Knots Untied is an astoundingly good album that any fan of progressive black metal should enjoy. It’s one of the strongest debuts I have heard in years. I wholeheartedly endorse this album, and I strongly recommend that you give it a shot. - 5/5 Self-Destroying Toilets”
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No Clean Singing
“Nixil delivers slithering melodies backed by skull-busting drum strikes and ominous fanfares of sound veering into paroxysms of blasting, unhinged riff-fever and gut-punching bass tones...” Islander, No Clean Singing
https://www.nocleansinging.com/2021/02/18/an-ncs-video-premiere-nixil-may-this-flame-flicker-out/
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Scream Blast Repeat
"Black metal is a crowded field, but Nixil find it easy to avoid cliché. Their music embraces a progressive soundscape that promises much and delivers more in abundance. Seldom does their art lose direction, and they’re quick to recover your attention when things threaten to die down. Nixil’s debut offering deserves thirty-six minutes of your time. - 7/10”