Nite – Voices of the Kronian Moon

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From Bandcamp, “the San Francisco Bay has a history steeped in Heavy Metal and NITE carries that torch with pride. Founded in 2018, their blackened heavy metal barrels towards the peril of an unknown future, while still paying homage to metal’s foundations. Guitarists Van Labrakis and Scott Hoffman let loose galloping riffs and harmonies that evoke the classic sounds of the NWOBHM while driving their Dark, Melodic Metal into the modern era. With sophomore album “Voices of the Kronian Moon,” NITE solidifies their place among emerging artists to watch.” The album contains eight tracks.

“Acheron” opens the album. It begins with an interesting combination of traditional Heavy Metal with guitar harmonies, and raspy, Black Metal vocals. The mid-tempo song is steeped in melodies that are both powerful and pleasing. The title track opens with more twin guitar harmonies and some dark melodies. I hear a bit of IRON MAIDEN is this track. Grey skies really seep in here from the vocals. “Last Scorpio” begins with a heavy and powerful riff. So far, through three songs, the sound is fairly similar. But those harmonies shine through like a ray of light.

“Liber ex Doctrina” opens with a slower and more emotional pace. The whispered vocals here are sly and cunning. The main riff then comes in, and the sound is expanded. The guitar solo follows the melody line very well. “Heliopolis” opens with a rough and tumble riff and some meaty bass guitar notes. The guitar harmonies are slick and catchy. I sometimes wish the songs lingered just a bit longer, but I suppose that would be overly staying their welcome. “Edge of the Night” features a galloping riff with a lot of energy. Some of the melodies have a sad edge to them, but the band develops them with care and careful consideration. This might be the best song on the album.

“Thorns” is also another powerful mid-tempo rocker that features darker elements that cloud out the sky. Visions of the “Lord of Light” is the primary subject matter here. “Behold the lord of light…listen…listen, his mind. Follow into his eyes…the pleasure…the endless delight.” “The Trident” closes the album. It opens with some thunder strikes and chunky bass guitar notes. From there, a nice mixture of light and dark elements can be heard. This album was very easy on the ears. It’s not overly creative or unique, save for the blackened vocals that somehow fit quite well with the music, but the melodies and harmonies flow smoothly into you and are just fun to listen to. The album cover and production are also top notch. There is simply a lot to enjoy here.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 7
Memorability: 8
Production: 8