Niht – Arcanum

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The year 2021 has been quite busy for the German label Ván Records. Recently, the underground label launched the sophomore album “Arcanum” of the international black metal super group Niht. The outfit features members from bands like Nekrovault and Khaos, formed in 2015 by the guitarist S., and vocalist/bassist Z. The duo brings together an impressive set of seven tracks. Niht‘s emphasis is on a variety of styles and elements, the songs venture into slow passages displaying plenty of influences from Swedish and Norwegian styles of black metal. The polished sound of the album brings a sense of clarity to the vocals and the instrumentation. The opening track “Angst” veers into speed and aggression with the guitars providing a layer of cold necro atmosphere. Charged with razor edges riffs the malefic tone of the screeching vocals reminds me of many bands from the second wave black metal. 

The drums often take a furious pace and deliver some blast beats, while the guitars set up a cold freezing aura and the riffs present traditional tremolos. Every track includes plenty of hooks and emotive kind of melodies, though the key to the creative composition lays within the performance of the duo. For instance, “Schmerz” brings the old classic melodies of Scandinavian black metal. And it seems that the quality here works its magic, the wielded tremolos are combined with excellent vocal effects. Throughout the short duration of the album, Niht seeks to capture the haunting melodies that can pull the listener into some kind of nostalgia.

Despite the tempo changes, the songs are energetic and distinctive, somehow I find many similarities between the band and Dutch black metal outfit Asagraum. “Lüge” is notable for the humming sound of the bass while the increased use of the tremolo-picked riffs gets added to the song composition. The juxtaposition of rhythm unravels the quality of the guitar work. The screeching vocals are topped with piercing guitar riffs whereas the drums on the other hand display an enthusiastic performance.

Niht showcases the fundamental influences of black metal, the duo immersed themselves fully into the old passion. Drawing out variations from old school black metal songs like in “Sucht”, which displays a furious pace of drums and an impressive style of the vocals that shows the ability to change the vocal technique. Besides the heavy riffage, the duo generates wonderful melodies and I must say that the band has found its sound. There are some modern influences that can be heard in the tone of the guitars. “Wahn” conjures a depressive aura where the band mixes the old classic melodies. The exhibition here expands on the modern vibes. The music doesn’t lack any quality and the songs are built on a dramatic scale, presenting plenty of slow-paced moments that are soaked with pleasing melodies. However, what really attracted me to the music is the strong similarities to Naglfar’s album “Vittra”.

The slow acoustic intro of the final track “Tod” weaves acoustic guitars and creates a charming aura. Blending aggression and powerful melodies, Niht brings catchy rhythms and bass guitar merges beautifully in. The recent work of the international duo seemed to be bound by precise musicianship. “Arcanum” is reminiscent of the Swedish melodies achieved by the old appeal of the Scandinavian black metal bands. Despite the simplicity and the quality, which is above other more mediocre bands, the music of Niht is full of inspiration, rhythmic textures, and fine musicianship expertise. “Arcanum” was released on April 9th via Vàn Records on cd and vinyl formats.  

Release Date: April 9th, 2021
Label: Ván Records
Track list:

  1. Angst
  2. Schmerz
  3. Lüge
  4. Sucht
  5. Hass
  6. Wahn
  7. Tod

REVIEW SCORE

  • Music8/10
  • Vocals/Lyrics8/10
  • Production/Packaging7/10
  • Artwork7/10
  • Originality7/10
7.4The recent work of the international duo seemed to be bound by precise musicianship. “Arcanum” is reminiscent of the Swedish melodies achieved by the old appeal of the Scandinavian black metal bands.
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