NACHTMYSTIUM – Addicts; Black Meddle Part Two CD review

NACHTMYSTIUM – Addicts; Black Meddle Part Two CD
Century Media

I must admit that I was late getting into NACHTMYSTIUM mainly due to what I considered hype by journalists of questionable musical tastes and motives (Indie Rock Losers who hate black metal but write for metal mags). In 2008 I decided to check out this band’s Assassins: Black Meddle Part One CD and liked it enough that I placed NACHTMYSTIUM in the category of bands that are good despite being liked by Indie Rock Losers (a rarity to say the least). I passed on the band’s EP from last year but was looking forward to this full length expecting more of their experimental mixture of black metal meets 70’s proto psych & prog rock. Prior to getting this I finally saw NACHTMYSTIUM live at a local venue while on tour with EYEHATEGOD. Their set contained a few new cuts from this and sounded almost blackened punk and roll. I thought they were great and not what I was expecting at all. As far as this new one goes the feeling is the same.

The CD opens with this ambient percussion laden minute and a half track with a whispering voice spelling out letter for letter the sentence “nothing hurts more than being born”. OK the opening intro sucks so hopefully it’ll get better and it does. “High on Hate” is blackened punk with just the right amount of foreboding atmosphere to make it threatening. The third cut “Nightfall” has even more punk rock influence bordering on radio friendly English pub rock. Interesting yeah sure like a black metal version of the CLASH minus all those stupid reggae influences. It was at this point where I wondered if this thing continues on its present course than tomorrow night, when I’m at the club, I’m gonna find me some Indie Rock Loser and beat em senselessly. My level of disdain for Indie Rock reaches levels of hatred far beyond those mere mortals who hate disco and new wave, both of which I hate as well. The genres of emo, screamo and the various tangents of “core” are all laughable and don’t garner a beat down but I digress.

I will say that Addicts defies all preconceived perceptions and expectations of their past output. “No Funeral” has this cool rhythmic keyboard back drop reminiscing of some sixties garage punk/psych or the 80’s/90’s revival of it but blackened by Blake Judd’s vocals and vision. In some sick strange way I find this to be one of my favorite tracks on here. The blackened garage punk theme continues on for a few tracks and then on “The End is Eternal” things move into shoegazer territory which is nothing new to the black metal genre. Although by the midpoint things drag on until the crescendo slowing walks you out with Judd’s painful screams. A couple more punk infused tracks follow and then it’s the closer “Every Last Drop”. This is were the band gets about as FLOYD-esque as they get on Addicts including a David Gilmore type solo and background voices within it’s eight and a half minute length.

After listening to this a multiple of times my opinion of NACHTMYSTIUM has not wavered. They are a very good band. On Addicts they have taken a style of music (Punk/Garage Rock/Psych) which I’ve always been a fan of and reinterpreted it within their vision. The end result is fuckin incredible to say the least. It’s safe to say that this will be listed in Scumfeast Metal 666’s end of year favorites.


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