Darkness Evermore
20 Buck Spin
If DIY street cred was currency, Todd Burnette could retire today. His past includes Deathreat, His Hero Is Gone, Severed Head Of State, Tragedy, and Warcry. These hardcore bands were uncompromising, heavy, down-tuned and furious. They all claimed a stoic hardcore stance fettered by unrelenting DIY ethics. In Nightfell, Burnette is joined by Tim Call on drums, who has an impressive roster of metal bands to his name. Nightfell released Nightfell’s debut, The Living Ever Mourn, with Southern Lord and McCall’s own Parasitic Records. Call spoke on the pros and cons of this. “The response was positive. I am not sure how much of a push there was behind it. I co-released the vinyl on my label, which is more of an underground entity. I don’t do a lot of big promotion. My releases tend to sell at a moderate pace, as people hear about them through word of mouth. I have noticed more interest in the first record since the tracks for the new one have been streaming.”
Now Nightfell unleashes their second offering, Darkness Evermore, on 20 Buck Spin.
Joined in the studio by cellist, Julia Kent, Nightfell churn up some intense
d-beat black metal. Use whatever fusion of genre titles you wish, the impact is
still as resonant. Heavy, dark, cold music that can trudge glacially and the
spark into incendiary speeds. The cynicism is palatable on each track, demining
this existence. Burnette’s guttural growls are lower than ever. The weaving
dark harmonies of Tragedy are present. That element is cool, but Nightfell
truly stand apart from any project either member has done. Heavy and powerful.
The staccato rhythms enveloping the first track’s ending are
a belligerent delivery until we return to the cello. Atmosphere and brutality
are priority in Nightfell. That is accomplished and surpassed. The opener, “At
Last”, is a sinister ten minutes. Forging through “Cleansing” is demonic growl
embedded in a swinging riff and thrashing drums. Brad Boatright’s mastering and
Evan Mersk’s mixing present all instrumental factors as equal weapons.
Savage misanthropy backed by heavy distortion and whiplash
beats, Darkness Evermore is a bleak
statement on the desperation of today’s world.
The album holds respites of disconcerting plucks and vibes. But, this LP
consistently returns to the meaty, dreadful morose sounds. The eight to ten
minute durations give Burdette and Call ample time to destroy with reckless
abandon. The building of tension and venting is continuously rewarded with a
tenacious delivery. Stark and cold while avoiding the thin, tin production of
trve kvlt BM is refreshing and welcomed. Thick low end chugging breathe new
life into this loathsome genre.
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