The 80’s are back. But were they ever really gone? Greek Power Metalers, NIGHTSTEEL, are banking on a “no” and a “yes.” “No,” they were never really gone. Its spirit burns in the hearts and psyches of true believers everywhere. And also “yes,” the 80’s came back as of April 11, 2025 when NIGHTSTEEL released their eponymous debut album, Nightsteel, via Cosmic Fire Records.

Technically NIGHTSTEEL is a project as the fluid lineup might suggest. There’re enough regular members, however, to ensure consistency. The songwriting is also single-sourced (Bill Sam), so there’s a lot of cohesion across all tracks. The regular line-up is bolstered by several guest vocalists that add both flair and variety as well as at least one guest guitarist, Igor Paspalj, who features on two tracks.

While I can’t say I’m a die-hard 80’s Metal fan, I do know what good sounds like. I started my metal journey in the 70’s and have seen the rise and fall of more subgenres than I can count . . . but then again, metal subgenres never die. There’s always a Symphonic Post-apocalyptic Reindeer-grinding Christ-abusing Extreme War Pagan Fennoscandian metal fan out there somewhere. 

That said, you should probably be an 80’s Metal fan going in—that’s kind of the price of admission—but NIGHTSTEEL delivers 11 tracks (including the CD bonus) and 51 minutes of blazing true metal. Standout tracks are “Calm Lake” with it’s sinister vibe and molten solos; “Damned Souls” because how can you not dig a song with that title; and “Panagioti” for its powerdrive riffs. Looking at my list, it’s not lost on me that Maruro Elias is the vocalist on all my chosen tracks, so maybe I have some confirmation bias going on there.

All in all, NIGHTSTEEL offers up a solid slab of Power Metal with their self-titled debut. Fans of 80’s metal should be all over this one. Extreme metal will also appreciate the salute to a bygone but never forgotten era.