Nite hone their blade on ‘Cult of the Serpent Sun’

When darkness descends, NITE flies high with blackened heavy metal.

After venturing through space on their last album, NITE has returned to face the shadowy mythology that lay dormant beneath society’s underbelly. Each of the eight epic battles on Cult of the Serpent Sun tests the band’s mettle. But amidst their new album’s winding perils, NITE emerges triumphant. Lead single “Crow (Fear the Night)” is a rallying cry, calling for fists to rise with power and might.

Watch the classic and cultish video for “Crow (Fear the Night)”: https://youtu.be/tP1X7TboOxM

Ever since they banded together out of San Francisco’s underground in 2018, NITE has carried the torch for Bay Area metal. On Cult of the Serpent Sun, these four heavy metal avengers triple down on their classic arsenal. “Crow (Fear the Night)” swoops into the heat of battle with talons drawn. Like two birds of the same feather, the duel leads of Van Labrakis and Scott Hoffman climb on the back of drummer Patrick Crawford‘s foundation-shaking march.

Cult of the Serpent Sun carries a “more-is-more” philosophy, guided by what NITE garnered on the road. Since their last studio stint, the band have stormed the stage at Northwest Terror Fest, toured California with fellow statesmen Persekutor and Haunt and marched across the Southwest on the road to Hell’s Heroes VI.

“Fans really responded to older songs like ‘Acheron’ and ‘Genesis'”, Labrakis says. “Cult of the Serpent Sun has more songs that are fast and upbeat and help lift people’s spirits”.

Cult of the Serpent Sun also sharpens NITE‘s signature edges with fresh venom. “We play a traditional style of heavy metal, but the blackened element takes us in a different direction”, Labrakis says. His road-hardened voice strikes fear into the album’s serpentine foes. “Fear the night“, he warns, backed by bassist Avinash Mittur, who wields his bruising Rickenbacker with a spike-gloved fist.

“‘Crow (Fear the Night)’ is a call to those on the edge, a beckoning cry out of the shadows into the light”, says NITE. “The headbanging masses band together under a sinister banner, leaving exile and finding themselves stronger as the cult of the serpent sun rises”.

“NITE strives to be a light,” says vocalist and guitarist Van Labrakis. “Cult of the Serpent Sun is about how we persevere in times of immense darkness.”

Ever since banding together in 2018, NITE has carried the torch for Bay Area metal. Darkness Silence Mirror Flame debuted their blackened twist on NWOBHM. “…raucous, Marshall-fueled heavy metal that would be the envy of many a British band in the 1980s,” wrote Invisible Oranges. Follow-up Voices of the Kronian Moon upped the ante with more strutting tempos and windblown shredding, much to Stereogum’s delight. “It’s like speeding down a freeway at night in a Corvette with the top down, but everyone is wearing velvet capes.”

On Cult of the Serpent Sun, NITE wisely triples down on their trusty arsenal. Instead of scaling back, their third album adds more heft to the band’s armor. Labrakis and fellow guitarist Scott Hoffman‘s molten leads duel with heightened showmanship. Drummer Patrick Crawford pummels and gallops while Avinash Mittur rattles the chest with his Rickenbacker bass. The title track charges with newfound urgency, slithery and venomous in its attack.

The album’s “more is more” philosophy is guided by what the band have learned from the road. Since their last studio stint, the band have stormed the stage at Northwest Terror Fest, toured with fellow statesmen Persekutor and Haunt and marched across the Southwest on the road to Hell’s Heroes VI. “Fans really responded to older songs like ‘Acheron’ and ‘Genesis’,” Labrakis says. “Cult of the Serpent Sun has more songs that are fast and upbeat and help lift people’s spirits.” Galvanized by a foundation-shaking groove, “Skull” defiantly crushes. “Crow (Fear the Night)” is a rallying cry, calling for fists to rise with power and might.

NITE‘s classic weaponry shows no signs of rust on their third album. “The Last Blade” draws first blood amidst an acoustic flurry before thrusting onto the offensive. “The aim here is not to replicate that era but to explore and evolve,” Labrakis told Decibel when asked about the band’s influences. Cult of the Serpent Sun honors the trailblazing spirits of old by honing what separates this band’s particular alchemy from mere imitation brew. “The Mystic” expands their sonic palette, featuring a slow-burning bass line that stretches time and space into a hypnotic portal. With its whirling and enchanted melody, “Tarmut” glimmers like a desert mirage.

On Cult of the Serpent Sun, NITE guards the altar of blackened heavy metal with sharpened blades and axes raised.

Lineup:
Van Labrakis – Guitar, Vocals
Scott Hoffman – Guitar
Avinash Mittur – Bass
Patrick Crawford – Drums