From Bandcamp, “NACHTMYSTIUM are back! After all that was said and done, mastermind Blake Judd is still standing. Not only that, but Judd has also clawed himself back from the abyss of a most extreme life imaginable to a much more quiet, observant, and matured artist and person. His return will not be met with universal applause – even from the black metal scene. For anybody following the tumultuous career of Blake Judd and his pioneering band that has pushed the borders of their genre into new territories, this comes hardly as a surprise. All the darkest elements, required and longed for, are there: harsh, rasping vocals, the fierce hum and whirr of guitars burning with an ice cold fire, moments of ecstatic and exalted beauty in hellish soundscapes. Yet there are also those fine details that the musically well-versed Judd has always cunningly hidden in the general sonic onslaught such as post-punk and wave elements, and now even a knife-tip of outlaw country.”

The album has seven songs, and “Survivor’s Remorse” is first. The sound is thick, and peppered with depression. For me, I get images of someone standing in a ring of fire that inches closer and closer to them, and they try to escape, but every path goes into the fire. The panic that sets in is the essence of this song. “Predator Phoenix” has some groove, and some melody, and although the vocals are still harsh, it’s clear that Blake is branching out of some of the traditions of the genre. The fury lessens after the half-way mark, and deep anguish comes in the form of some somber melodies. “A Slow Decay” is a slow and sober march through grey skies but not without a varied landscape. Although much of the sound is akin to getting stabbed and bleeding out slowly, I appreciate some of the delicate melodies.

 “Conquistador” has a more traditional sound, with a wall of guitars, the harrowing rasp of harsh vocals, and a drummer that pounds away like the energizer mascot. “Blind Spot” is another more straightforward number, but this time, chunks of depression are heaped onto your head. The lead guitar passage absolutely weeps, and your despair seems to grow as the song swells. “The Arduous March” is a song that just hits you in the gut hard with its emotional impact. You can literally feel someone trying to put one foot in front of the other when they have absolutely no energy left whatsoever. The title track closes the album, and it’s a burner, and here is that hint of outlaw country they were talking about. The combination is very carefully done, and wrapped up with a bow.

Although one could describe the album fairly loosely as Black Metal, it’s clear that Blake has his own vision of his music, and it takes all kinds of tangents, but also ones that make sense in the scheme of the album. It’s a testament to Blake and his hand’s vision for their craft.