It's rare that a band can pull off a seamless blending of genres in a way that absolutely works, without sacrificing artistic integrity or the overall brutality and catchiness of the recording, but Nightfell do just that. Their latest offering, Darkness Evermore, is a great example of how the group manage to play blackened death metal in a way that honours the contemporary, the classic, the mysterious and the brutal.
Many bands who attempt to do the genre-blurring thing fall short of the mark, and end up creating something that is not quite as good as either of the genres they strive to be a part of, or that come off sounding like a metal mashup of multiple bands rather than producing cohesive music. Nightfell manage to escape that hazardous trap by crafting amazing songs that pull from the classic elements of metal, keeping things heavy yet dark, and employing a number of slow interludes to keeps things spontaneous.
"Cleansing" is one of the heaviest songs on the record, blasting right into unforgiving death metal grooviness with evil, dark undertones. "Collapse" is heavy and rhythmic, verging on the melodic with strong, overlapping riffs. The only complaint is that there are a few moments where the recording gets a bit trite with the overuse of chorus vocals, samples and other interludes; they add to the overall atmosphere, but as heavy and catchy as the record is, it would be nice to have the music flow a little better, with fewer interruptions.
Still, Darkness Evermore is a satisfying listen, aimed squarely at those who love the heavy, the classic, the ripping and the brutal.
(20 Buck Spin)Many bands who attempt to do the genre-blurring thing fall short of the mark, and end up creating something that is not quite as good as either of the genres they strive to be a part of, or that come off sounding like a metal mashup of multiple bands rather than producing cohesive music. Nightfell manage to escape that hazardous trap by crafting amazing songs that pull from the classic elements of metal, keeping things heavy yet dark, and employing a number of slow interludes to keeps things spontaneous.
"Cleansing" is one of the heaviest songs on the record, blasting right into unforgiving death metal grooviness with evil, dark undertones. "Collapse" is heavy and rhythmic, verging on the melodic with strong, overlapping riffs. The only complaint is that there are a few moments where the recording gets a bit trite with the overuse of chorus vocals, samples and other interludes; they add to the overall atmosphere, but as heavy and catchy as the record is, it would be nice to have the music flow a little better, with fewer interruptions.
Still, Darkness Evermore is a satisfying listen, aimed squarely at those who love the heavy, the classic, the ripping and the brutal.