NIGHT VERSES is a Progressive Metal band. I was unable to gather much information on the band, and their record label didn’t have them on their roster on their website. Also, there was no entry on them from The Metal Archives. However, they do have 45,000 Facebook fans, so they must be doing something right. We are going to have to let the music do the talking here. The album has seven songs.

“8 Gates of Pleasure” is first. Heavy, animated bass guitar notes lead off the song, with a very heavy and accented guitar riff. The band dips in and out of various passages with relative ease, and it’s obvious that they have talent. The bottom end of the song is very weighted, but there is melody as well. “Arrival” is a shorter song but still has those punishing, punchy tones from the bass and guitar. Take a careful listen to the drum worm as well…this guy keeps time like an expensive Rolex. “Rose Wire” breathes a little more when some fresh sounds saunter in, and it has a nice balance between naked aggression and the use of melody.

“Karma Wheel” is very heavy with Djent accents that rattle your bones on one end of the spectrum, while on the other end, delicate melodies are offered like a crisp appetizer before dinner. “Love in a Liminal Space” has a lot of tension behind the fanciful leads, spirited bass work and spot on drumming. The lead guitar work is intricate and tells a story beyond what appears on the surface. “Bound to You” has complex, complicated rhythms that are fierce at times, tempered with just the right amount of melody. Another thing that is evident about the band is that they know exactly when to turn it up and when to lay back.

“Séance” closes the album, and features more peaceful tones. Take the title in when listening to the music…a séance is “a meeting at which people attempt to make contact with the dead,” which is mostly uneventful unless contact is made. Firm, clean melodies flow from the guitar, while bass and drums hold down the bottom, and the song is mired in mystery. Overall, instrumental music always has a special charm for me. You have to dig deeper and imagine that some of the melodies could mirror vocals. This is a unique talent that the band pulls off effortlessly, and their blend of competing elements comes together in the end like a tried and true recipe.