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Nightfall - Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants review




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Reviewer:
9.0

69 users:
7.77
Band: Nightfall
Album: Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants
Style: Melodic death metal
Release date: August 2010


01. Intro
02. Astron Black
03. Astronomica / Saturnian Moon
04. Astra Planeta / We Chose The Sun
05. Ambassador Of Mass
06. The Criterion
07. Asebeia
08. I-I
09. Archon Basileus
10. Proxima Centauri / Dead Bodies
11. The Thirty Tyrants
12. Epsilon Lyrae

Nightfall as far as I recall is the first Hellenic metal band to have signed a contract with a record company from abroad and It was something great back in the days for an unknown country on the metal map, it was the first part of a chain reaction that soon would burst with Rotting Christ, Septicflesh and other bands from this part of the Mediterranean Sea.

2010 and Nightfall return with their 8th full-length release to date, Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants. The cover art is beautiful with a hellenic approach, with the featuring ship probably being Argo, setting sail on another expedition with Efthimis Karadimas and his crew. After some years of silence the band returns more mature in sound, the line-up blends together really well and their atmospheric gothic/death metal shines once again.

Despite its twelve compositions, Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants keeps the interest of the listener at high levels from the very beginning to the very end, the one great song lends its place to the next one and so it flows harmonically for 43 minutes. Worth mentioning is the fact that, somehow, Nightfall tend to evoke an archaic essence through the compositions, justifying the cover artwork and the titles of the songs. Great guitar riffing explodes all over the place steamrolling the audience, whereas the more melodic passages lend a more lyrical view (and let's not forget the beautiful solos!), along with the dithyrambic orchestrations/keyboards. The rhythm section is fluent and bombastic, lending utter groove to the compositions, marching fast in awe or planting the seeds for the next siege. Last but not least, Euthimis on the vocals whether he recites, grunts or sings in dementia stands more mature than ever behind the microphone, spitting the draconian law upon humanity.

No, no stand-out tracks, the album flows as one, marches as one, strikes as a whole, henceforth, Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants is the manifestation of grandeur and lyricism through aggression and ambiance, a powerful magnum opus from a band that fought and succeeded in establishing its territory in the vast waters of atmospheric metal. It's time for Nightfall to cherish the glory they deserve, the one sadly didn't receive to date like the other two consisting of the Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 8
Production: 9





Written on 11.09.2010 by "It is myself I have never met, whose face is pasted on the underside of my mind."


Comments

Comments: 9   [ 1 ignored ]   Visited by: 281 users
11.09.2010 - 18:43
iaberis
Advice Troll
Great review man! So poetic!
Well, from the music video they released recently, I saw a more death approach of music.
I'm surely going to check the album as soon as possible...
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Bitch! Please
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11.09.2010 - 18:46
Rating: 9
KwonVerge
Odysseus
Elite
What's up mate?! How's life in Patras? ;P
It's more death metal of course, through the atmospheric view, i wasn't expecting such a wonderful album, something good definitely, but this blew my mind!
(check Aherusia if you don't know them already, black metal with cretan lyra!)
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Dec. 30, 1334.

...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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11.09.2010 - 19:28
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Sounds interesting. Will investigate.
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11.09.2010 - 21:29
iaberis
Advice Troll
Ah, you know life in Patras, I believe you still live here
Aherusia sounds quite interesting! I've been always wanting to hear metal with lyra in!
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Bitch! Please
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12.09.2010 - 19:43
Rating: 8
Ag Fox
Angel No More
Elite
I'm checking this out
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loves 小巫
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13.09.2010 - 02:04
Rating: 9
Chainer
Witch Hunter Gen
My first listen to Nightfall, what a fucking way to come on to a band. This album fucking kicks it, and the review describes it to a T. I especially agree with there being no stand out songs, as the album just feels like one big flowing piece of music. everybody should check this album out.
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Written by Dangerboner on 02.11.2009 at 08:11

Everything he doesn't like is metalcore. Britney Spears, Elton John, Michael Moore, and green beans are also metalcore, in case you guys didn't know.
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14.09.2010 - 17:42
Lovecraft
Account deleted
I have their CDs and all, but I was never interested in listening to them. Your review makes me want to listen to them. I love their album artwork.
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12.12.2010 - 04:20
Susan
Smeghead
Elite
I'm on my second listen and really dig this. Your line "No, no stand-out tracks, the album flows as one, marches as one" sums it up quite well. It's a constant steam of beautifully energetic metal. Constant, but still diverse; probably why it never gets boring. Would really love to see this band live one day
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"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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14.09.2012 - 15:05
Rating: 9
fosi
Great review!!!
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