CD Review: Nachtmystium - Silencing Machine

Written by Ricarda Menn Tuesday, 24 July 2012 07:25

Artist: Nachtmystium
Title: Silencing Machine
Genre: Psychedelic Black Metal
Release Date: 27th July 2012
Label: Century Media Records

Album Review

NACHTMYSTIUM are a Psychedelic Black Metal band from the United States, formed in 2000. Throughout their career, their style has developed from traditional Black Metal to a more progressive variety. In 2012, their sixth studio record ‘Silencing Machine’ is about to be released, continuing the two years circle of outputs, like ‘Assassins: Black Meddle Part 1’ (2008) or ‘Addicts: Black Meddle Part II’ (2010).

With ‘Silencing Machine’, NACHTMYSTIUM have perfected their mixture of harsh Black Metal and psychedelic, atmospheric melodies. The prevailing mood of the record is very dark and absorbing, the opener ‘Dawn Over The Ruins Of Jerusalem’ is dominated by distorted vocals, a very sterile, cold sound and a quite remarkable chorus. The following title track ‘Silencing Machine’ is straight-forward, monotonous and includes effects like relay or electronic mimics in general. Strikingly, all songs are at least around five minutes long, so at times it may not be easy to understand every facet at first glance. Yet, the music invites to indulge and drown in the dark, fascinating ambience. Songs like ‘And I Control You’ or ‘The Lepers Of Destitution’ are slower, more depressing and doom-influenced, while ‘Decimation, Annihilation’ appears to be rather fast and Rock ‘n’ Roll like. ‘Borrowed Hope And Broken Dreams’ includes very intense lyrics, that are set into music by using rather melancholic phrases but also harsher riffs.

In ‘Reduced To Ashes’, synthesizer effects are very dominant and the vocals are so extensively distorted, that the lyrics can hardly be understood. This all adds up to a very nightmarish and oppressive listening impression, a tension, that is built up constantly during the album and only is released by the silence that follows the last track ‘These Rooms in Which We Weep’. Consequently, the title ‘Silencing Machine’ suggests more than meets the eye, just as all the songs carry manifold connotations and only reveal themselves slowly but intensely. In contrast to the previous records, the symbiosis of Black Metal-like riffs and electronic, at times psychedelic elements sounds more homogenous and mature, none of the two perspectives is too dominant and it all fits disturbingly well. The clean, cold production adds to the prevailing mood of the record, which is best listened to as a whole and does not include any lowlights. NACHTMYSTIUM do not only offer a fantastic record for open-minded fans of Black Metal, but also are worth being checked out by admires of atmospheric, dark music.


Tracklist

01. Dawn Over The Ruins Of Jerusalem
02. Silencing Machine
03. And I Control You
04. The Lepers Of Destitution
05. Borrowed Hope And Broken Dreams
06. I Wait In Hell
07. Decimation, Annihilation
08. Reduced To Ashes
09. Give Me The Grave
10. These Rooms In Which We Weep


Line-up

Blake Judd - Guitars, Vocals
Drew Markuszewski - Guitars, Vocals
Will Lindsay - Bass
Sanford Parker - Synths & Electronics
Charlie Fell - Drums


Website

www.facebook.com/OfficialNachtmystium


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 10
Sound: 10
Extras: -
Total: 10 / 10