Nightfell - The Living ever Mourn

****
Blinding debut from Death Metal Doomsters!

Nightfell is a new two man project from the States. Drummer and vocalist Tim Call has a CV as long as your arm here he has teamed up with Todd Burdette who is relatively unknown who handles guitar, bass and vocals also. 'The Living ever Mourn' is Dark, downtrodden, melodic and heavy as f**k!. This album has more atmosphere and carries a bigger sense of dread with it then any album you can name by nine out of the first ten Black Metal bands you can name off the top of your head. It's selling itself as Death Metal but it's just as much a Doom album in a lot of ways and has a big Gothic feel about it also.

It has old school Death Metal tendencies as in it doesn't concentrate on speed and brutality to make it's point. Although it does have it's fast moments but on the whole Nightfell concentrate on big riffs and big melodies to carry their songs. Just listen to the delicious opener 'The Last Disease' with it's haunting menacing lead riff and the second half of the track with it's slow crushing finish. 'Empty Prayers' has this great melodic introduction and build's to a slow, heavy, murky song which is cleanly sung throughout it's reminiscent of something from Bathory's later day masterpiece 'Hammerheart'.

'The Following' is more up tempo where 'Alters to Wrath'  has a Thrashy mid section and finishes with a mid pace Celtic Frost riff. Things finish with the epic 'Funeral Dirge' which is one of the best tracks on the album and closes everything off really well. This is an awesome album. It's dark it's dirty and carries an atmosphere that hasn't come across in an album for a long time. I'd love to see how this project develops. Highly recommended!

Review by Joe Denby

Listen! to the Track 'I am Decay' Below...