Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1 continues Nachtmystium's musical evolution. Blake Judd and company lay down a base of traditional black metal, and then add numerous other genres to the mix. They mix in elements of psychedelic, progressive and electronica.
The songs are atmospheric. Sometimes the atmosphere is thick and oppressive, while other times it is light, airy and mysterious. Sparse instrumentals flow into harsh black metal with flailing blast beats, sometimes backing off into progressive and experimental parts that you don't usually hear on black metal CDs.
My biggest criticism of their last full-length CD was that the songs were hit and miss. That has been greatly improved upon with Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1. Although a few of the songs go on too long and a some of the experiments don't quite work, the majority of the CD is very strong. Nachtmystium continue to push the boundaries of the genre and remain one of the most creative and interesting bands in black metal.
(released June 10, 2008 on Century Media Records)
