Nightfall: Lyssa

"...this sick release is a magnificent soundtrack for a cerebral trip in the agony of our Times." (Black Lotus Records's web site)

That statement from Nightfall's record label says it all. This is pure extreme metal, a bit more intelligent than most with the insertion of spoken words, solid riffs and occasional glimpses of lead guitar work. But mostly, this is standard fare for extreme metal - dark, dirty power chords drowned in distortion, and death growls that are sometimes overdubbed to achieve the effect of a multi-vocalist texture, and gloomy lyrics designed to drag you into the depths of despair. (And you can actually hear most lyrics.)

There are occasional glimpses of oriental influences such as the brief into to "The End Times". A few passages feature clean-spoken lines which give it a bit of texture, and the whole record is driven by fast double bass kicking mixed with aggressive dual guitar rhythms. Keyboards and a few sampled sounds are present but not very evident, and are used mostly in the intros and outros.

The standard death-metal chord progressions are thankfully absent here, and although most songs sound essentially the same, "Master Of My Dreams" and the horribly-named "Christless" are the musical highpoints with a few passages that have an almost progressive flair.

Subtitled Rural Gods and Astonishing Punishments, this Greek quartet's 10th CD in 13 years is a brief 40-minute 11-song head-banging ear-assaulting dose of extreme metal with no soft sections to give you a rest. Get it if you dare!

Track Listing:

1. Dark Red Sky
2. Swollen
3. Christless
4. Master Of My Dreams
5. The Perfect Li(f)e
6. The End Times
7. Synastry
8. One Of These Days
9. Victimized
10. So(u)l Invictus
11. Essence

Added: February 4th 2005
Reviewer: Duncan Glenday
Score:
Related Link: Nightfall's Web Site
Hits: 2849
Language: english

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