Strangely enough, the first thing that came to mind as soon as “Rime” started playing, was Carpe Tenebrum. The keyboard line is just right down my alley, and that reminiscent moment of Old School Norwegian Melodic Black Metal almost made me shed a tear.
However, this is not Norwegian, nor a lost demo from the 90ies; this is a bloody USBM act, and this demo is from 2023. It has this almost Folk like melodie to it, very primal and visceral, but at the same time immense sweetness. This use of adjectives might sound weird ahahah. I adore the use of keyboards in Black Metal, period, and Nightfall Dissension does it with such class that it is hard not to let yourself go.
Again, an act from the US, showing that we were wrong for years, and that they do know how to create quality Black Metal. Majestic and exceptional are two words one can use to describe this project and its sound. Slow pace, fast pace, but always packed with energy and melody. This is a remarkable homage to the 90ies, I risk say, and the way it leaves you on the edge of your seat with anticipation and excitation, is tremendous.
‘The Path to Obscurity’ has this amazing guitar melody that is accompanied by keyboard from start to finish, and the way they combine, the way they are complementary to each other, is astonishing. Halfway through the song, change in pace, slower, denser, the guitar solo… just forget about it, this is amazing. And the acoustic guitar on this one?
All 5 tracks (plus the intro) are very much aligned to each other in the sense that you can find a connection – the keyboard might be the REAL linking – in terms of melodies, and the almost Folkish passages (not dancing Folk, no). in conclusion: we are not even halfway through the year, and the US has kicked me so hard in the arse that I can barely seat. USBM is fire in 2023.
