the obscurantist melancholy of Nightfell (U.S.): The Living Ever Mourn (Southern Lord/Parasitic)

Nightfell (U.S.): The Living Ever Mourn (Southern Lord/Parasitic)

How would it sound if black/death metal is slowed down to a steady uptempo pace? In other words, Nightfell has pulled the curtains behind the music and has decided to let people hear, really hear, the riffs, melodies and songs, without attempting to fool anyone with overwhelming speed and noise. That way, nobody says, “I really like the speed” and says other things that don’t mean anything. After all, lots of bands can play fast in all sorts of rock music. That’s the difference with Nightfell. Somewhere between melancholic doom (no core/no stoner) and the black/death metal vocals and guitar work is where this music stands. The attention to detail to the songwriting is very noticeable. The band might not prefer these references, but if you like the somber aura of the first two Opeth, early Katatonia and early Paradise Lost, then you know that there is a certain melancholy in that music, and Nightfell has a similar aura. Here and there, shades of the metal’s past are traceable in certain passages, for instance, in “Empty Prayers,” you will hear a tribute to “Frost”-era Enslaved’s song “Yggdrasil” in the low-toned chant-like vocals, the repeated pick-scraping on the guitar, and overall atmosphere. Or, Nightfell’s interlude “I” recalls Bathory’s “Odens Ride over Nordland” in the slow atmosphere, the soft chanting in the background, and the glorious horses neighs (which might be sampled from Bathory). All of this says that there is a tradition of which Nightfell is mindful. Nightfell seeks initiated and acolyte listeners who are willing to answer the call for obscurantist melancholy.

www.nightfell.bandcamp.com

www.southernlord.com

www.southernlord.bandcamp.com

Nightfell - I Am Decay