Nightfell: The Living Ever Mourn

Here's a debut album from two musicians (Todd Burdette and Tim Call) that brings together a convincing and healthy dose of melodic and heavy material. Both Burdette and Call are involved in other bands and other projects, bands like His Hero is Gone, Tragedy and Aldebaran. I'm not terribly familiar with these other bands, so I can't comment on which tracks sound more like which bands. That's probably a good thing. I don't want to spend my time with this review parsing out where things might have come from.

To keep things simple, I'll simply state that this is a very strong and confident recording. These guys are obviously talented and experienced musicians who love extreme music. No, this album doesn't reinvent the genre, nor does it push it in new directions. Instead, it offers up over forty minutes of heavy / melodic tracks that feel as true to this style of music as any I've heard lately. I was especially fond of the way the band moves from heavy to quiet passages seemingly without effort. Like much of the best Death / Black metal out there, Nightfell has the power to convince listeners that this style of music remains not only relevant but also musically powerful.

For those interested in this album, I recommend tracks like "The Last Disease," "Empty Prayers," "The Hollowing," and "Funeral Dirge." I was particularly impressed with "Empty Prayers." Its haunting melodic passages—sung in unison by both performers—captured the sense of despair and fear suggested by the lyrics. Most of the other tracks are a bit less melodic and a bit heavier. Like "Empty Prayers," though, they are always convincing and confident, gloomy and dark. For those looking for something new within this style, this album is certainly for you.

Track Listing:
1. The Last Disease
2. I
3. I Am Decay
4. Empty Prayers
5. The Hollowing
6. II
7. Altarts to Wrath
8. Funeral Dirge

Added: July 1st 2014
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Bandcamp Page
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Language: english

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