Band:	The Night Eternal
Album:	Fatale
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	July 2023

01. In Tartarus
02. Prince Of Darkness
03. We Praise Death
04. Ionean Sea
05. Stars Guide My Way
06. Run With The Wolves
07. Prometheus Unbound
08. The Requiem
09. Between The Worlds

Who's to say that heavy metal can't be just as dark, mysterious and seductive, as it can be wild, glamorous and energetic? The Night Eternal's Fatale provides clear evidence to the contrary.

The Night Eternal are a newly established German heavy metal band; they formed back in 2018, and released their debut album Moonlit Cross at the tail end of the COVID Pandemic in 2021. Now they've returned two years later with their sophomore release, Fatale, which I can guarantee, with its nine tracks in total (including the short instrumental "The Requiem") clocking in at a very reasonable forty-two minutes, is every bit as mean and exhilarating as the debut was. Now, what is it about The Night Eternal that stands out from the rest of the never-ending supply of modern heavy metal bands from today's NWOTHM scene?

Well, the first element this band excels in is in having a tremendous guitar tone, which is a department many modern heavy metal bands often fall flat in. The impressive meaty tone, accompanied by memorably exciting riffs, makes for a winning formula, especially when taking into account that the riffs are actually delivered by a twin guitar attack. However, this album is not all about the riffs. One other thing you have on this album is some exceptional leads and solos. In fact, I would even say it's likely you'll hear some of the finest lead guitar work of any heavy metal album this year here. A prime example of the impressive leads is the solo on "Run With The Wolves" (my personal favourite track on the album); by listening to this track in particular, you'll easily understand why I praise the lead guitar so strongly.

Now, the other striking feature that stands out from most albums of this modern day genre is the vocals. This is a style unlike the usual Bruce/Dio operatic-inspired vocals, or even Lawless/Tate-style energetic wails, for that matter. Ricardo Baum has a vocal style of his own, which I would describe as being relatively dark toned and raspy, and so providing a perfect fit for the dark lyrical setting the album is based upon. Now, over to the rhythm section, which is very impressive; the rolling thunderous rhythmic drumming beats and striking bass lines accompany each other nicely, and thanks to the exemplary production, you can hear all the elements working together without any hindrance. 

The opening track is enough to give you an idea of this album's high-standard sound quality, and sets the tone perfectly for what's to come. The track immediately begins with that fantastic, galloping rhythm section I was talking about, along with the delicious, energetically striking leads and riffs, and impressive distinctive vocals. Other than perhaps the slightly dark and gothic "Stars Guide My Way", the style remains consistent with the album's opener throughout, flowing impressively from track to track as the album progresses forward. 

Maybe looking at the album as a whole, you could say the songwriting and structure is slightly on the repetitive side, with most tracks having a similar structure, so picking out standout songs isn't necessarily easy, but that's not to say there are any tracks lacking quality on this record. In terms of memorability, "In Tartarus", "Run With the Wolves" and "Between The Worlds" caught my attention most strongly, for one reason or another, and they are the three tracks I have the greatest inclination to return to overall. Another moment that stands out is the perhaps unnecessary short instrumental "Requiem". However, even as a filler, this provides a moment for some skilful acoustic guitar work to come into play, and provides a pleasant touch of melody to break things up a wee bit.

The majority of us metalheads always seem to go on about modern heavy metal acts trying to revive the old 80s heavy metal glory days, and, well, The Night Eternal are no different in that regard, but is that really a bad thing? Fatale brings all the characteristics and charm, as well as the passion and sound of 80s heavy metal, but still managing to provide its own original take on things. There is a degree of quality and charm that stands out amongst the rest of the many heavy acts of today, adding a certain darkness to the equation for what is usually quite a light-hearted genre. Hopefully, this is something most old-school metalheads who don't mind a darkened twist to things will enjoy.