From Van Records, “our ears fell upon this recording somewhere at the beginning of last year, immediately grabbing our attention with this piece of organic sounding and unpolished atmospheric metal. These Dutchmen managed to capture the essence of the early works of bands like ULVER, VEMOD and PAYSAGE D'HIVER, but with a more aggressive and primitive edge, setting them apart from other similar contemporaries. Considered a demonstration of what is to come by the band, these four songs show the humble beginnings of a project that has something greater in the works. With Nacht, zij met ons..., NACHTHEEM have managed to come up with an ethereal and nostalgic work that is sure to intrigue anyone with a passion for this style.

The album has four songs, and “Drift van nostalgie” is first. Out of the gates, the first thing that strikes me is the subpar production. It might be intentional, as it can sometimes be in the genre, but the treble is turned way up and the bass way down. Aside from that, the song is fairly straightforward Black Metal, with a wall of guitars, ever-pounding drums, and harsh vocal screams. There is a nice clean vocal passage after the half-way mark with some somber leanings. The title track is longest, at 12-minutes in length. It has a raw sound, but there are some surprises buried within the song, particularly the atmospheric elements that crop up. A long, somber passage closes the song.

“De oude dennen” has a slow, atmospheric build and the spacey sonority gradually increases. It stays withdrawn for the most part, and pulls the listener into a world that is different from their own.  “Daar aan het firmament” closes the album, with another song that is steeped it atmosphere and solemn tones. But that is not the closing sound that the band wants. It picks up close to the half-way mark with energy from the guitars and drums. You light the fire, stand back, and watch it burn, and that is what the song does. Overall, the album felt a little disjointed to me. I really liked some of the atmospheric moments, and they can do a lot on an album. But, there just weren’t enough of them, and lots of Black Metal bands have a primal edge.