NITE is a Blackened Heavy Metal band from San Francisco, California. This is their debut album and they were formed back in 2018. They worked tirelessly since the summer of 2019 to record this album and when you take the time and you put in the effort, it shows. They are another band from the Bay Area and they are following in the footsteps of bands like TESTAMENT, EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL. They may not be Thrash Metal but they definitely follow their own path.

I can definitely hear a bit of old school New Wave of British Heavy Metal in their music right at the beginning of the album. What band wasn't influenced by the legends of the genre, we all pretty much grew up with the genre and it has influenced us in many more ways. The guitar tones and solos on ''Night Terrors'' are definitely influenced by NWOBHM or even the more Hard Rock SCORPIONS albums.

Something that really impressed me was the production values of the album. The blackened harsh vocals are really mixed well with the rest of the instruments. You don't feel anything is getting drowned and the attention is not misplaced. Sometimes in Black Metal, the production can be minimalist and it can be tedious at times honestly. They did a fine job mixing everything and everything is there for a reason. They took their time and the album sounds really really good.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the singer and I have problems with the Black Metal genre as a whole. It may be the genre I despise the most because I feel it's something that is overrated in a sense. I mean I understand the fans of the genre and it's appeal obviously. It's something keen to raw emotion but the shrieking and high-pitched vocals can get on my nerves. I felt that Van Labrakis did do a good job and it wasn't too bad, especially for someone that doesn't like these types of vocals. His vocals fit really well with the tone and the ambiance they create. It may not be my cup of tea but the whole package does seem to work.

They obviously create a nice atmosphere and really set the mood. They are a nice hybrid of Traditional Heavy Metal with some Black Metal influences. They are very akin to bands like NACHTMYSTIUM, KHOLD and MIDNIGHT, if you like these types of bands, I believe you really will like this opus.