The very first moments of “The Warning,” the album welcomer, made me remind the great Blue Oÿster Cult with its gentle strumming. But then the song took another very different direction to be what I think is the most near a band can get from early Nightwish. Yeah, “Darker Skies” has exactly that feeling of Nightwish when they started. That feeling of fresh, I mean. I know it’s kind of paradoxal to say that a band that reminds another band is fresh, but it’s just the way it is. To some extent, there is some 1980s AOR elements in the album and they’re not from the keyboards believe it or not. Mostly by the guitars of “The Ashen,” for instance. On the other hand, tracks as the following “The Sublime” go right to the Symphonic Metal Nachtmuse desire to be part of, but with lots of Progressive Rock influences. Not only them but some, believe me or not, The Smashing Pumpkins as the instrumentals go by. Well, it’s the first band here that I get that shows this kind of influence. That’s why I say the album is fresh. The combinations Nachtmuse do in the five tracks make it fresh, so fresh because they don’t sound like other Symphonic Metal bands. They have other influences that they care to show here. By the way, my dear child of the night will notice that all four tracks of five start with ‘The’ in the tittles. I said four of five because “Candy Tree” is a cover of All About Eve, a 1980 rock band. Coincidence? I don’t know but I don’t believe in them. Interestingly, the album tittle doesn’t have a thing to do with the music herein.
It seems to me that Nachtmuse’s intent was to be a standard Symphonic Metal band with all the features and traits the subgenre deliver, but something got wrong and the outcome was an album that is so fresh. Maybe decision to cover “Candy Tree” of All About Eve explains a part of what happened here. Just maybe. The answer to this question isn’t that easy if someone ponders about it. There is no simple answer. However, I don’t see many things in common to Nachtmuse’s songs and the cover. Maybe the intent becasue the intent is everything in a band. I’ll elaborate. I say that because bands when they start they have a dream sonancy. This dream sonancy is something the band may or may not achieve. That depends on the musicality and on the skills of the band. The more skilled the easier they will emulate their dream sonancy. Otherwise, they will try hard but won’t achieve. And that’s fabulous because that’s how new sonancies are made. Remember Slayer that used to make Judas Priest and Iron Maiden covers.
Nachtmuse “Darker Skies” will be released on April 07th.
Track Listing:
- The Warning
- The Ashen
- The Sublime
- The Sunken
- Candy Tree
Watch “The Warning” official lyric video here:
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