Info
- Band(s): Night Shall Drape Us
- Label(s): Season of Mist Underground Activists
- Release Format(s): 12" vinyl, CD
- Release Year: 2024
- Review Date: October 12, 2024
- Author(s): VincentP
Night Shall Drape Us certainly managed to garner some interest as soon as the project was announced. Combining artists known for their work in Horna, Behexen, Mare, Bythos and many more is certainly a sign of a group of people that have earned their merits in the Black Metal scene and could potentially deliver a highly noteworthy records. But the band is not your typical super star cooperation, or example of how scenes can revolve around just a few key figures that together make up the majority of the bands.
Instead, the origins of the band can be solely credited to LRH. A veteran of the Finnish scene, his drum work is currently featured in acts like Trollheim’s Grott, Horna, Bythos, Chamber of Unlight and Deathchain. What makes Night Shall Drape Us a unique entity in this list is that not only does he perform drums for the band, but he can also be credited for all the other instrumental work as well as the song writing. It was his vision to write the music for the band, and once that part was done he set out to recruit not one, but three vocalists: Wraath, Spellgoth and Infection. Wraath is known as a frontman of Darvaza, Ritual Death and Fides Inversa, but also as member of Behexen and Mare and one of the birthgivers of the Nidrosian Black Metal Scene. Spellgoth has been the vocalist of Horna for years, but also leads Trollheim’s Grott and contributes to the likes of Chamber of Unlight and since a few months also Sargeist. Infection is mostly known as a guitar player for Horna, Behexen, Bythos and Ajattara but picks up his vocal duties again for this record, the Night Shall Drape Us debut, ‘Lunatic Choir’.
It would be tempting to think that a unison of so many veterans of the Finnish Black Metal scene would result in a distinctly Finnish sound, but let’s stop that thought right here: Night Shall Drape Us is not that band. Instead, the music takes elements from Swedish, Norwegian and Polish Black Metal into a high-paced and melodic blend, that only every now and then reminds of any of the other bands that LRH or the other members are involved in. Gorgoroth, old Dødheimsgard, Dissection, Craft and Mgła are mentioned by their label Season of Mist and for once, that actually makes sense. Add a little bit of Mayhem, a touch of Behexen and the occasional Horna riff, and that pretty much sums up what to expect from the band: furious and fast paced Black Metal with a strong emphasis on the melody.
While LRH is a gifted drummer and his blistering drum work forms the backbone of the record, it’s the melodies that steal the show. In songs like ‘Hymn of Rebellion’ they have a glorifying ring to them. The uptempo Mgła-meets-Dissection track adorned with the vocals of Wraath sets the tone in a furious pace and melodic grandeur. This is also an example of a track with only a single vocalist, and while each vocalist does have a solo track so to speak, in the majority of the tracks the three vocalists combine to spew their harsh cries, but also at times form a lunatic choir of clean vocals. This is literally most pronounced in the highlight track ‘Lunacy and Horror’, where the choir of vocalists chant and shriek both the band name and album title to an entrancing effect. With catchy melodies and vocal lines, the song feels like it presents what Night Shall Drape Us stands for in all its glory.
Even though the pace of the drums is almost uniformly relentless, some nuances in the songs provide some welcome diversity. ‘Dead Eden’ for instance is a more militant track almost, combining riffs typical for Blasphemer-era Mayhem with Mgła and the grooving style of Craft. ‘Ashes of Men’ is another strong track, with a punky drive and guitar work that’s more in the vein of old Dødheimsgard and Gorgoroth mixed with the sense of melody from the Swedish scene and Mgła. In ‘Under the Dead Sky’ we are treated with a more subcutaneous melodic drive, intense drum work, strumming guitar and background keyboards, creating a more yearning and almost melancholic atmosphere. In other words, there is plenty of variation to be found on the record.
If anything, ‘Lunatic Choir’ shows that LRH is more than just a drummer. His knack for writing compelling melodies, multi-facetted vocals and subtle variations has resulted in a record that’s extremely pleasant to the ear. Intense and catchy, it is certainly intricate enough to warrant repeated listens to dive into the different facets of international Black Metal that have been infused into it. That Night Shall Drape Us is far from your typical Finnish Black Metal band, that’s for sure!
Season of Mist Underground Activists
- Country: France
- Style: Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal
- Links: Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Spotify, Youtube
