Nordrim may be a new name, but ‘Demo I’ already has that feeling of a project that knows exactly which corner of Black <etal it wants to inhabit. Coming from Norway and built around themes of nature and solitude, the demo has a suitably cold and distant character without feeling like it is simply going through the motions.
There is something quite appealing about the simplicity here. Rather than throwing everything possible into the mix, Nordrim allow the atmosphere to do a lot of the work. The result feels appropriately underground, with that sense of being somewhere isolated, surrounded by darkness and absolutely no interest in what is happening outside.
‘Demo I’ is also one of those releases where the rough edges are part of the charm. It doesn’t need to sound perfect. In fact, giving it that raw demo character makes the whole thing feel more convincing. For a first statement from a band only appearing in 2026, this is a promising introduction. Nothing revolutionary, perhaps, but Black Metal doesn’t always need to be.
Sometimes you just need cold riffs, solitude and the right atmosphere. Nordrim seems to understand that.
