Nachtmystium / Xasthur

Since this is a split from two different artists, I will reviews each artist separately.

Nachtmystium
Nachtmystium is the lesser-known artist of the two, but Nachtmystium still makes some pretty interesting music, as demonstrated in this side. The instruments on the song are fantastic. The guitars are very distorted, but play a sad melodic tone. The drums also beat slow, but have a powerful sound to them. The vocals, however, are a bit mixed. They are distorted to the point where the words Azentrius says are barely legible. At the same time, however, they carry the song because his sorrowful and depressed sound enhances the doleful atmosphere of the song. I also liked the ambient part in the second-half, as the synths are in high quality and further execute the atmosphere with their slow, dreadful sound. The song may not be the best, but it surely does leave an interesting impact on the listener.

Xasthur
Xasthur is one of the most famous DSBM bands of all time, and they have released plenty of excellent music throughout their career. This side is one of their stronger moments from their split series. The intro is a distorted version of a classical piano playing. The piano plays in a good rhythmic pattern, and sets the tone for the next song that plays, "Spell Within the Wind". This song has the typical instrumentation of a Xasthur song, with a melodic guitar playing, drums playing in a slow pattern, and some out-of-key synths building the foundation of the songs. However, what makes the song special is Malefic's vocals. His voice is extremely distorted, and he sounds very distressed and hateful. The vocal performance in this song is better than Azentrius's, as it balances the distortion and emotion, and they enhance the dispiriting atmosphere. The production of the song is also improved, with the instruments playing in equal volume and being mixed properly. The guitar solo in the end of the song is exceptional, with its slow, hopeless riff and the occasional screams that can be heard in the background. This is the best song off the split.

Conclusion
Overall, this split is really amazing. Nachtmystium's part is great with its established tone and spirit-like vocals, but Xasthur takes it a step further with the more depressing atmosphere and improved vocals. It's an overall amazing split that is recommended for anyone who's a fan of either of these bands.