GRIMA Walks You Through Their Frozen Masterpiece, Nightside

Siberian atmospheric black metal legion Grima just released their sixth album and Napalm Records debut, Nightside, on February 28. If you missed it – or you’re curious about the intent and lore behind it all – check out our track-by-track written by Grima‘s Morbius and Vilhelm below. And of course, get your copy of Nightside here.

“Intro”

A composition that is exquisite in its simplicity. Its cinematic sound design immerses the listener in an atmosphere of cold despair. The bayan takes center stage, performing arpeggios reminiscent of Hans Zimmer’s works. A haunting melody signals the arrival of yet another dark night.

“Beyond the Dark Horizon”

The opening riff strikes with a grim, relentless force, something in the vein of Satyricon – My Skin Is Cold. Our goal was to craft a song with a strong melodic throughline, a theme that remains present from start to finish. The bayan’s melody alternates with the lead tremolo guitar, reinforcing the central motif and weaving a haunting, cohesive sonic tapestry.

“Skull Gatherers”

This track is slow and dense, like a thick fog creeping across the ground. At its core lies a deep, deliberate melancholy that permeates every note, drawing the listener into a state of introspective gloom. While working on this song, we often looked to the legacy of bands like Paradise Lost, inspired by their ability to evoke a sense of despair and inner turmoil. We aimed to capture that same hypnotic slowness, where the music seems to dissolve into consciousness, filling the mind like ripples spreading across a still, dark lake.

“Flight of the Silver Storm”

We’ve always been drawn to the spirit of Doom Metal. That slow, almost funeral-like rhythm where every note stretches out, filling the space with a dense atmosphere of despair and inevitability. The intro, painted with ambient guitar swells, sets a hypnotic tone, as if leading us into a world of oblivion. Simultaneously, the bayan weaves in adding a shade of tragedy, cold, and almost folkloric melancholy, while the lead tremolo-picked guitars evoke more classic Black Metal elements.

“Impending Death Premonition”

We have always been drawn to the aesthetics of Death Metal, and this influence is unmistakably present in our music. Even when our primary focus leans toward other genres, you can always catch traces of deep, guttural growls cutting through the layers of instrumental sound. Typically, we use this vocal technique in the background, adding depth and weight to the overall atmosphere. It serves as a dark undercurrent, reinforcing the main parts and creating a sense of richness and power. However, there are times when we feel the urge to bring this deep, cavernous voice to the forefront to give it the space for full expression.

“The Nightside”

Imagine finding yourself utterly alone, locked within an icy prison where not a single ray of light can pierce the suffocating depths of night. There is no glimmer of hope here—only the endless cold, seeping into your bones, gripping your mind with merciless force. This is not just a song but a heavy, relentless epic, telling of nature’s hostile, unyielding side, where night reigns eternally, and humanity is nothing more but a fleeting guest, doomed to oblivion. Additionally, it was the first song written for Nightside, its starting point.

“Where We Are Lost”

This song hides some intriguing rhythmic choices. Such bands like Meshuggah and Leprous provided us with plenty to ponder while recording the drum parts. The idea was to strip away the straightforward drum kick patterns in the opening riff, and it seems like we were successful at it.

“Curse of the Void”

We composed a keyboard intro inspired by Marilyn Manson’s soundtrack for Resident Evil. It was fascinating to loop this melody and build an epic guitar arrangement around it, featuring explosive blast beats and a choral clean vocal delivery. Layer by layer, we expanded the harmony, culminating in a guitar solo reminiscent of classic ’90s metal guitarists.

“Mist and Fog”

Through the veil of mist, the silhouettes of slumbering mountains emerge. This is a place full of secrets, where every step is shrouded in mystery, and every rustle could be the echo of an ancient voice. The closing track, ‘Mist and Fog’, was completed in the studio—we arrived there with only a central melody and a rough idea of what we wanted to achieve. Until the very end, none of us knew exactly how the track would turn out. Looking back now, we’re satisfied with the result of this little experiment.

“Outro”

A short farewell instrumental piece that brings the album to a close. If you’ve never heard the sound of an old bayan before, this brief composition will introduce you to its authentic, haunting resonance.