![nachtheem – nacht, zij met ons… [ep]](https://www.vm-underground.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nachtheem-–-Nacht-Zij-met-Ons…-EP-cover.jpeg "Nachtheem – Nacht, Zij met Ons… [EP]")
Nachtheem is a mysterious new entity hailing from The Netherlands that released their debut EP ‘Nacht, Zij met Ons…’ at the dawn of 2024. While that release initially passed me by unnoticed, the band sparked my interest when I noticed their appearance on the ‘Terratur Compendium MMXXIV’. Given the impeccable track record of Terratur Possessions, it was inevitable to take a deep dive into the EP.
With a band name that combines night with the old Dutch word for home, it is not surprising that the music on Nachtheem’s debut is one that evokes a feeling of the night, both in its piercing darkness and its starlit sky. Fitting with that musically, there is a very clear parallel to be drawn: ‘Nacht, Zij met Ons…’ has undeniable likeness to Vemod’s ‘Venter på Stormene’, mixed with a modest touch of the oldest work of Ulver. But in particular the resemblance to Vemod is uncanny, and that is every bit a positive comparison. The atmospheric Black Metal of Nachtheem is often raging in pace, with raw and repetitive tremolo picking combined with atmospheric keys to give it a grandiose ambiance. It is the power of focusing on a few high-quality entrancing riffs rather than adding endless new variations that works exceptionally well for Nachtheem. A song like ‘Drift van Nostalgie’ is intense in its opening, but then starts adding clean vocal harmonies, enhancing the atmosphere even further as the pace slows down. The main harmonious theme is the sort of music that settles inside your brain immediately, much like ‘Venter på Stormene’ still has me mesmerized with its atmospheric beauty over a decade after its release.
But the comparisons do not end here. Similar to Vemod, Nachtheem also has a penchant for ambient passages, something that starts coming to fruition in the following title track. While the initial minutes consist of a raging and looming start with rasping vocals and haunting synthesizer accents, Gregorian chanting further build upon the atmosphere as it transitions into a cosmic ambiance. The song then takes on a more strumming and melancholic appearance guided by clean vocals, continuing to evoke visions of the nightsky as the song carries on towards the end. In turn, the subsequent ‘De Oude Dennen’ is a fully ambient song. It harbors a hypnotic vibe, where the sound continues to swell as it progresses. This doesn’t lead to an outburst, at least not until the closing track ‘Daar aan het Firmament’. After initially taking the ambient predecessor into a keyboard opening that builds into clean guitars and vocals, the piercing Black Metal form of the band returns a few minutes into the song. With intense pace and the shrill lead riff, clean vocals, shrieks and recited lyrics carry the album towards its end in a mesmerizing manner.
To me, this EP feels like a direct homage, or daresay, somewhat of a spiritual follow-up to Vemod’s ‘Venter på Stormene’. That comparison by itself is a splendid achievement, worthy of recognition. Whether ‘Nacht, Zij met Ons…’ will be released by Terratur Possessions in the future (in the meantime it is released on cassette by Tour de Garde) or that the band is part of another grand scheme of the label remains to be seen, but until then, this EP of Nachtheem is nothing short of a must hear release to those that adore atmospheric Black Metal akin to the the debut album of Vemod.
Tour de Garde
- Country: Canada
- Style: Black Metal
- Links: Homepage, Instagram, Youtube
