Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus received coverage on these pages and continues its march through short but impactful releases, representing black metal produced nowadays in Pennsylvania, US, yet bearing all hallmarks of Finnish ambient atmospheric black metal of rawer, truer kind, due to the heritage of its mainman Mika Mage. Madness Incarnate is another in the line of EPs Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus enjoys putting out so much.

The EP probably crystallizes what the band has been about to date, yet somehow there has been a slight evolution for more reputable maturity away from reckless abandon. Gone are the punky moments of Synkka Tuuli, and in is the bitter tremolo of Traversing the Frozen North, which could not have represented the title better, taking the listener on a trip somewhere to Karelia. The rapid pitter-patter fast beating blast opens, then subsides, covered by shrouded vocals. The band uses different guest vocalists for every lyrics filled cut on the EP, but since I am not familiar with these guys, or the bands they come from, my references probably would be useless. Suffice it to say, that there is no howling brutality anywhere on the release, vocals being mainly in line with the atmospheric black metal Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus plays. Mika Mage probably needed others to sound out the words to the songs, and the vocalists play their part.

Immaculate Deconception, also an earlier single, has a lot more barbarous intent and nasty twist, until the quieter part hits, but not for long. The title song is doomed out, soiled with tar, heavier than other songs, but reaching for atmosphere not unlike some Eastern European bands, minus the folk elements. The best moments of the EP, for me anyway, come when Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus comes up with a signature catchy riff, the treat of the moment, the way they do on Virgin Essence, and then so successfully marry it into the aforementioned atmosphere. Traversing the Frozen North and Virgin Essence are definite delights in that regard, and Comte-Sponville is an acoustic closure where the atmosphere remains, yet the density and distortion have been subtracted from the equation and synths are finally allowed to play even more prominent role.

Those familiar and in favor of the band should not be disappointed, even if the earlier more in your face youthful enthusiasm has been toned down.