Band: Various Artists
Country: Brunei
Title: Invoking the Nusanthropian Supremity
Label: Black Mystic Productions
Year: 2018
Style: Black Metal

Review:
Probably the most exotic release I've ever had the chance to review as all the four bands featured on this split are from Brunei, a totally unknown country to Metal fanatics over the World, but hopefully one that will start offering more and more bands like these. Be warned that all tracks have a low quality production, very different than what we're used to nowadays.
Opening is Luktujuh, a one man band playing what they call Malnusan Folk Metal, or otherwise a blend of Black Metal main vocals with occasional female backing vocals, Heavy Metal guitar riffs and an overall Folk Metal approach and atmosphere given by the guitar leads/solos and the keyboard passages that sound more like children keys to be honest. Somehow it reminds me of Evol's ingenuity and variety, but definitely without that Satanic / dark atmosphere. Not sure if the female vocals are totally out of pace and awful, or if that's intentional but I would loose those on the next record, or definitely try to improve them. Overall not bad but far from what's out there nowadays.
The next 2 tracks are signed Masyghul, another one man band that plays a darker, more brutal type of Metal, a Pagan Black Metal I'd say that reminds me of old Satarial and mostly Temnozor as it features whistles as highlight. If you take aside the awful production quality, the music is really good, mid-tempo to fast paced Black Metal with a certain melodic touch on guitars and that Pagan whistle that gives the band its outstanding touch. To tell you the truth I really like this, it's like '90's Pagan Black Metal but recorded and re-recorded times and times again on overdubbed tapes that lost their quality, we got plenty of those tapes back in the days. Too bad the band has only these 2 tracks out so far, hopefully it's still running and one way or another will release new stuff soon.
Noiratasya is next, again with 2 tracks, and it seems this is the most experienced band from the split as it was formed back in 1997 and even released a full-length album in 2007. Mid-tempo to fast-paced Melodic Black Metal with clean main vocals supported by occasional growls, simplistic and repetitive guitar riffs that somehow stick to your memory, synthetic drums and mysterious keyboards background. Not bad but not impressive either.
Narsarakh is closing the split with some sort of primitive Death Metal with melodic guitar solos. Although started in 2009 as a one-man-band, nowadays Narsarakh is a quartet and even released a debut album shortly after this split was out. This is Death Metal (with Black Metal vocals at times) on Hard Rock sounding instruments if you know what I mean, the intention is there and it's a good intention, but the means they have to execute their music is not suitable for Death Metal, obviously; this happened to Romanian bands in the beginning of the '90's, too, they were trying to do Black Metal or Death Metal, or Thrash Metal, but they all sounded like Hard Rock because of the instruments quality. If you know what I'm talking about you know how Narsarakh sounds like: Death Metal intention with melodic touches. listening to this I become nostalgic of the old local underground. 
Bottom line I love this compilation, it's a valuable proof of the scene in Brunei, and apparently the label wants to keep releasing these compilation, I hope they do. Contact BMP and support this incipient scene!
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 4/10  8/10  6/10  6.5/10

Contact:
facebook.com/black.mystic.productions
facebook.com/narsarakh.cult