The follow-up, ‘Wings of the Nightstorm’, arrived two years after the debut, ‘Through the Impure Veil of Dawn’, and it was immediately clear that they continued on the path they had started.
Death Metal influences and guttural vocals are less noticeable as their musical ideas shift closer to the Melodic Black Metal of compatriots Hecate Enthroned and Cradle of Filth. Still, it doesn’t quite match the impact of Hecate Enthroned’s ‘The Slaughter of Innocence, a Requiem for the Mighty’, or Cradle of Filth’s ‘Dusk and Her Embrace’, which came out around the same time. Where the other two bands stepped up their presentation and catchiness, Thus Defiled seems to linger in a “direction” on ‘Wings of the Nightstorm’. In comparison to their debut, this record lacks a certain dark atmosphere; one might expect more moodiness as Thus Defiled moved towards Melodic Black Metal, but Hecate Enthroned proved with ‘Dark Requiems… and Unsilent Massacre’, in 1998 that a dark atmosphere and this style can go hand in hand.
Their UK contemporaries surpassed Thus Defiled quite quickly. Despite performing with major acts at the time (such as Dissection, Cradle of Filth and Moonspell), they couldn’t keep the spotlight on them in the years that followed. It’s debatable whether a stronger album would have made a difference, but it feels like there was more potential here. While ‘Through the Impure Veil of Dawn’, has a great dealof charm, a ‘what if…’ sensation remains after listening to ‘Wings of the Nightstorm’. (Ricardo)
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Despite hailing from a country known for producing some truly ferocious and memorable Black Metal, ‘Wings Of The Nightstorm’ comes across as surprisingly dull and uninspired. Where many of their compatriots, such as early Hecate Enthroned and early Cradle of Filth which both delivered cold, razor-sharp aggression and sinister atmosphere, Thus Defiled seem content to tread water in familiar, overused territory.
The riffs lack the bite and memorability that define the best releases from their scene, often drifting into repetitive and lifeless passages. The drumming feels serviceable but rarely exciting, while the overall production fails to create any real sense of menace or depth. Instead of conjuring the freezing darkness one would expect, the album moves along in a flat, uneventful manner.
There are moments where the band hints at something more vicious, but these sparks are short-lived and quickly swallowed by predictable songwriting and a lack of intensity. Compared to their national counterparts who pushed the genre forward with either raw savagery or atmospheric strength, ‘Wings Of The Nightstorm’ simply doesn’t leave much of an impression.
In the end, it’s a release that neither offends nor excites; just a rather boring and forgettable entry in a scene that has produced far stronger works. (Arian)
