Nuclear Winter - Night Shift

Nuclear Winter come with “Night Shift,” an album that mixes Industrial Metal and some Gothic features with the good old Classic Metal. I admit that this is indeed a hard task that many bands are trying to achieve. In general, for my taste, I prefer when bands go deeper into Classic Metal with small touches of this modernity. The lesser modern stuff, the more I like it. So sorry, I’m just an old and angry and grumpy guy. But in no way it means I am completely against new bands. No, sir. You, my reader, are a witness that I have been praising lots of new bands here.

Alright, so let’s go to Nuclear Winter and “Night Shift,” shall we?

It kicks off with “The Western Gate” a good invitation card to what is to come. Guitar riffs are heavy and catchy. Maybe the drumming is the thing that sparkles most the attention due to its heavy and constant pounding. Only in the last third minute is that the fan may notice the electronic effects which in no way take away the track glow giving the mix a pretty well-balance. Vocals mix influences as well alternating techniques to give the song a peculiar shine. The same happens to second track “Down Where We Belong” also with an energetic and powerfull guitar riff. An interesting fact about Nuclear Winter is the taste for those anthemic choruses which are common to Power Metal bands but rare to their likes. Another highlight to the guitars which are also pretty different from their peers being very strong and striking.

The thing is that little by little, track by track, Nuclear Winter go adding more and more elements, the aforementioned electronic effects, from Industrial Metal specially on vocals. Though guitars maintain their power and striking features, vocals and the effects take out a little the needed and mandatory agression a Metal band must have. This shift may be feelt from track four “The God Without Shadows” on. Fifth track “Life Sick Hearts” sound much more Industrial than Metal, for instance. Following track “Years Lent” is even a bit more Industrial, a grip that will be sustained by Nuclear Winter until the end of the album. I have to say that the anthemic choruses aforementioned save this track by giving it a special mood. By the way, it is the only track that shows a guitar solo.

Bottomline, “Night Shift” is a good album for the ones that appreciate Metal mixed with electronic effects.

Nuclear Winter “Night Shift” was released on February 07th.

Track Listing: