I couldn’t think of a better tittle to this album. The music in “Shades of Night” is the exact depiction of what the album is all about. By the intro of album warmer “Bewail The Fallen Light” my dear child of the night can get a glimpse of what is to come. The acoustic classical music inspired track has a slow, but vigorous cadence. The guitar strumming is pretty interesting and showcases a band able to vary their tunes. The metalhead who isn’t used to Metal openings might find it strange because “Dagger of Will” comes with all the energy Nokturnal have to spend. I’d say the track has a great taste of Speed Metal in it which makes it so interesting.
Musicwise, “Shades of Night” is a tour around Extreme Metal styles starting from Speed Metal – one of the first Extreme Metal styles – passing through Death Metal with some slants of Black Metal. It’s an album to please the most demanding fan. Regarding to speed and velocity, the album is pretty varied with many guitar strummings. From where I’m standing, this is a strategy that works pretty fine because it gives the breaks Extreme Metal songs need. There is also room for some experimentation as in “Chainless Soul” where the guitars do a hammering sound as Andy Summers did with The Police’s classic “Every Breath You Take.” Of course, with the musical differences we all know of. My guess is that the strummings are one of Nokturnal’s staplers.
In a general way, “Shades of Night” is really attached to the 1980’s sonancy spiced with more modern features as tracks as “By The Nightside” shows us. Blackened Speed Metal is the band’s major inspiration by what I’ve heard here. By the way, that’s exactly what drove me into the band’s music and what gives them their personality.
Nokturnal “Shades of Night” will be released on April 26th via Pulverised Records.
Track Listing:
- Bewail The Fallen Light
- Dagger of Will
- Chainless Soul
- By the Nightside
- Blood and Valour
- Cold Embrace
Watch “Dagger of Will” official lyric video:
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