DIABOLIC NIGHT hailing from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, were formed in 2013. The Black and Speed Metal outfit release their sophomore full-length album “Beneath The Crimson Prophecy”, which has a length of about 41 minutes. The album was mixed and mastered by Mario Scarpari at Attic Studios. It was released via German Heavy, Thrash, and Doom Metal specialists High Roller Records.

“Revelation” is the opening track of the album, and the orchestral two-minute intro provides a bone-chilling atmosphere for the things to come. “Tales Of Pest And Mystery” combines the best of the two worlds of Black and Speed Metal: the pace and aggression combined with Thrash Metal inspired riffing on one side and the rawness, atmosphere, and Black Metal inspired vocals on the other side. While especially the verse parts are fast and aggressive, the chorus parts include epic and atmospheric elements. The vocals are harsh and around the medium end of the vocal range. “The Sacred Scriptures” starts at a measured tempo with the opening riff, transitioning into a short mid-tempo part, before the frantic verse part begins. The verse parts are played at high pace, while the chorus parts go back to the epic mid-tempo riffing from the beginning. The chorus melodies have a certain catchiness, which makes the track ideal to be released as lyric video, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Pandemonium” starts with a lot of Black Metal vibes during the verse parts with atmospheric riffing, while the chorus parts and the break has the traditional tight Thrash inspired riffs. It is a fast track, even though it starts at a measured tempo, but this does not last for long. Highlight of “Pandemonium” is the break with the lead guitar contributions.

“Starlit Skies” starts with an extended guitar-driven intro at mid-tempo, transitioning into another Speed Metal attack at blistering pace. The song textures of DIABOLIC NIGHT are very consistent: high speed verse parts with tight riffing are followed by blackened parts for the chorus parts, often introducing epic melodies. “Starlit Skies” is more directed towards traditional Speed Metal with a few atmospheric short parts. Highlight is the break leading to a lead guitar solo with a few HELLOWEEN vibes. The track is one of the album highlights. “Vicious Assault” is very direct, raw, and simple. It is perhaps one of the fastest album tracks overall with no tempo changes between verse and chorus parts. There are short mid-tempo parts just after finishing the chorus parts. Highlight is again the very contributing lead guitar solo. “Voyage To Fortune” starts with a few Black Metal vibes with the epic guitar melodies at the beginning supported by the blast-beats. The verse and chorus parts are driven by speed and simple tight riffing, including the almost sing-along chorus line. The Black Metal vibes from the beginning re-appear now and then during the track, however, what sticks in mind is a fast track with Thrash Metal inspirations in the riffing and the lead guitar solo. The album finishes with “Arktares Has Fallen” and this is perhaps the most blackened album track, although the riffing suggests otherwise. It is a more complex track with twists and turns in pace and rhythm, most notably during the extended break. The melodic framework of the track is also two-parted with the break delivering epic melodies with some melancholic elements. “Arktares Has Fallen” is with almost eight minutes the longest one on the album, and it leads into a finale which could be one of an IRON MAIDEN epic track.

DIABOLIC NIGHT release a decent album of blackened Speed Metal. “Beneath The Crimson Prophecy” delivers a mixture of pace, aggression, punishing riffs, epic melodies, and blackened inspired vocals. Highlights of the album are the riffing and the lead guitars. Although the core of the album sound is a well-tried concept for almost 40 years, the Black Metal infusion makes the album sound somehow unique. The album production sounds very raw and too much like the 80s. I am not quite sure what to make out of “Beneath The Crimson Prophecy”. It certainly has its moments, but is this enough to make it a good album? Fans of traditional Speed and Thrash Metal should give it a listen, many of them might dig it.