From Bandcamp, “De Droom” sees NOCTAMBULIST diving deeper into post-punk and shoegaze influences while retaining the fierceness of their debut record. What sets “De Droom” apart from the first record is that the writing was done with the entire band on board whereas full song ideas used to be presented by a few members. The songs this time around are just that, songs. While “De Droom” is not a concept album, most songs reflect on the beauty of a mediocre co-habitual existence while also struggling with the seemingly impossible dream of homeownership. The album cover features a bedroom of a derelict villa, reflecting the themes of hope, failure and heartbreak present on the album.”

The album has nine song, and “Petrichor” is the first proper track. Coming out of the gate, it sounds like thick Black Metal, with vocal screams, and a veritable wall of guitar riffs. But the melody slips in like a sly hand into your pocket, and it is glorious. There is a slow crescendo that begins to build, and it swells with emotion. “Aderlater” features clean guitars at first, a faster pace, and then a combination of clean and distorted guitars. The melody that comes crashing in here is dark and somber. The clean, harmonized vocals are wonderfully done, and they bring a poignant feeling to the song, tempering some of the outright aggression.  “Godvormig Gat” is like a ray of sunshine trying so hard to pierce the thick, black storm clouds. When it comes through, you realized how strong it must have been to be able to do that. If it weren’t for the horrid Black Metal vocals, you would think you are listening to an 80’s song with a great hook. In fact, you are.

“Lichteter” has a bouncy beat that you can move your head along with, that is, until the vocals creams nearly obliterate the landscape. The melody holds on though, like a person dangling from a speeding car. “Gevoelsmens” features clean, solemn tones, and a sense of nostalgia, until the vocals storm in like a beast busting through the door. The stew begins to slowly thicken into a consistency of pea soup, and the aggression weight down the song.  “Vinex” has a brightly colored canvas from their unabashed use of melody, proving that the two opposites can co-exist as friends. Although the melody is straightforward, the aggression darkens it. They have a keen sense of both. “Lang Leve de Droom” closes the album, and things turn a bit darker. Melody is still there, but the color from it fades a bit to hues of grey.

Few albums manage to walk the razor-thin line between ferocity and elegance as masterfully as this. With a soundscape that embraces the raw, unrelenting aggression of Black Metal while intertwining it with haunting, melancholic melodies, this album carves out its own space in the genre’s ever-expanding sonic wilderness. This is an album for those who crave Black Metal’s icy rage but also seek something more—something layered, something emotional, something that lingers long after the final note has faded into silence. In its perfect equilibrium of savagery and sorrow.