Windhawk Formed in 2007 and with a well received demo from 2008 under their belt, it would take a further two years before Swedish band NYMF had a settled line-up in place and were ready to follow up the initial interest by Swedish label Transubstans Records.

Released in October 2010 their self-titled debut effort is one that first and foremost points back to classic bands such as Black Sabbath and Candlemass in stylistic expression, at least to my ears. Connoisseurs of the doom metal universe will most likely be able to pull up additional probable influences. Massive resonating riffs and slow to mid-paced riff patterns is the name of the game throughout, with a thundering bass guitar and steady rhythms beneath and an at times curiously talk-like vocal delivery courtesy of Niklas Sjögren. His voice is rather close to good old Ozzy but comes across as slightly less powerful.

Spicing up the proceedings are occasional up-tempo passages, some nifty melodic overlays courtesy of the guitarists and effective energizing bass drum details. Somewhat less successful are the psychedelic guitar textures applied in the second half of the album, as are their ventures into compositions beyond the 5 minute mark that is a common feature in the very same excursions. Nymf aims to add a touch of sophistication to the proceedings on these pieces, but will have to develop that part of their repertoire to manage to produce material that makes a lasting impact in my opinion. But their shorter excursions are solid efforts through and through. The occasional use of growling may not suit die-hard fans of the genre, but as that is a minor point on a select few occasions only most should be able to tolerate this. Personally I found it to be a nice and welcome detail to an album venturing into realms heavily explored by others.

A good production in general, not adding anything new nor groundbreaking to the doom metal universe but worth investigating by those who have a soft spot for acts such as Black Sabbath and Candlemass.