NITE glisten amidst the dark on new single ‘The Mystic’

Ever since they banded together in 2018, NITE has carried the torch for Bay Area metal with pride. In the three years since their last Marshall-fueled venture, the San Franciscans have wisely tripled down on their trusted arsenal of blackened heavy metal. “…it will take a crowbar to pry this song out of your head”, No Clean Singing wrote about the high-flying lead single from the band’s upcoming third album.

With its epic slow burn, the latest single from Cult of the Serpent Sun still conjures the trailblazing spirits of old. But “The Mystic” shines a light on what separates this band’s particular blackened alchemy from mere imitation brew.

Listen to “The Mystic” on the Season of Mist YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/dyBOeWnTWzM

After two swashbuckling albums, NITE‘s classic weaponry still shows no signs of rust. The title track off Cult of the Serpent Sun slithers with all the leathery glory of ’80s heavy metal gods. Their new album was guided by what they harnessed while storming the stage at Northwest Terror Fest and Hell’s Heroes VI, but its “more is more” philosophy also led them to explore new dimensions.

“Time / Space”, Van Labrakis chants as “The Mystic” unfolds as if shrouded by frozen smoke.

NITE‘s new single highlights the band’s blackened edges. Melodic riffs drip like candle wax. Drummer Patrick Crawford pops and pings as if leading a midnight procession. “Red, black and white“, Labrakis summons from his spell book while Avinash Mittur stretches his Rickenbacker bass into a hypnotic groove.

Cult of the Serpent Sun pits the band against the shadowy mythologies that have long laid dormant beneath society. But even amidst its freshly blackened perils, NITE emerge victorious. As the flames rise higher and higher, Scott Hoffman‘s guitar solo illuminates “The Mystic” like a beam of light climbing through the shadows. “Fire / Bring me to life“.  

“As above, so below”, NITE says about “The Mystic”. “Black and white, the checkerboard of space and time. Duality as the vehicle of human consciousness. Beyond all our achievements as a species in science, art and philosophy, still our biggest achievement, our alchemical triumph, our magnum opus as humans, is our most animalistic ability to procreate. To cheat time. To cheat death”.

When darkness engulfs the world, NITE sets the sky ablaze with white-hot, blackened heavy metal.

Having journeyed to the stars on their last venture, NITE now faces the abyssal and shadowy mythology that has long laid dormant beneath society. Each of the eight epic battles on Cult of the Serpent Sun tests their mettle. But amidst the album’s blackened perils, the band emerges victorious.

“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 NITE 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.

“We play a traditional style of heavy metal, but the blackened element takes us in a different direction,” Labrakis says. His road-hardened voice stands resolute in “Carry On,” denouncing the perils of war. “Dream on and find who you are,” he beckons on the album’s triumphant closer “Winds of Sokar.”

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