The Nightly Disease - Delicate White Snow

The Nightly Disease

Delicate White Snow

by Chris Hawkins at 15 September 2021, 6:32 AM

Something can be said for mystery in Metal.  From the riddle behind W.A.S.P.’s acronym to who really played drums on “And Justice for All,” these spicy little nuggets of melodrama enhance our enjoyment of the art.  After all, what would life be life without arguments with your friends over who the most cvlt underground Black Metal band is?

THE NIGHTLY DISEASE have such an air of intrigue.  The band is from Italy and contains one member yet his (or her?) identity remains obscured.  It works particularly well for this Atmospheric Black Metal project for just like the classic “Tales from the Thousand Lakes,” the album cover reveals the basic oeuvre contained within.

“Delicate White Sound” is an apt description.  There really are more moments where the music takes on the gentle cadence of the falling snow surrounding the scarecrow pictured on the cover.  As I listened to the album, its effect creeped in subtly like a winter’s chill though soon I felt consumed by my own personal blizzard.

Within the album are four tracks, “Delicate White Sound Part 1-4”.  Instead of breaking each down as usual, this is an album that should be looked at from a macro perspective.  The way the music flows mimics the ebb and flow of falling snow on a black winter’s day (thanks, AMORPHIS).  At times, it is a frenzy of frozen fury while care is maintained to allow the music to develop with the appropriate peaks and valleys.

Perhaps the greatest strength of this album is that it is an instrumental endeavor.  While the songs could be envisioned with a with variety of vocal approaches, the open-ended nature of it as-is speaks far louder.

The work overall is vastly aided by a strong, solid production.  Guitar, bass, drums, and various keyboard/synth sounds are blended perfectly to accent the appropriate chords within.  The end result is an expansive sound, one that resonates loudly within the mind, and echoes long thereafter.

“Delicate White Sound,” though a seemingly obscure album, is an actual triumph.  At just under forty minutes in length, it is a substantial journey though not one to wear out its welcome.  Hopefully, we will hear more from THE NIGHTLY DISEASE in the future – my interest is piqued!

Songwriting:  8
Originality:  8
Memorability:  7
Production:  8