What Lasts Forever

When guitarist Michael Tybußek started Nyktophobia back in 2015 he had in mind to create straight-forward and catchy yet not overly cheesy melodic death metal, as some kind of tribute to the past. He has been joined by Dawn of Disease vocalist Tomasz Wisniewski and some other musicians, going on to release the debut full length “Fallen Empire” in 2017, which has been followed swiftly by album number two “Fate of Atlantis” in 2018. Both records are prime examples of what made melodic death metal so highly regarded in the first place during the late nineties / early noughties. Somehow Michael and his lads have hit a nerve by throwing some of the ballast overboard that can be found more and more on modern albums of the genre. With album number three “What Lasts Forever” they inexorably keep following the chosen path, concentrating on their strengths and presenting one again an excellent piece of melodic and heavy music. Positive reviews all around and some euphoric comments in relevant forums are well deserved, and all I can do is join the choir of praise.

Of course most of the riffs are cut from the same clothes as we all know from the traditional Gothenburg school. I guess that each of the basic chops presented on this album has already been played by In Flame, Dark Tranquility or any other of their peers in one or another variation. Personally speaking innovation is not what I am looking for when searching for new music these days, so I am glad to report that while there might be nothing really new or original the instrumentation is top notch. The most impressive factor here might be the lead guitar work, which is phenomenal in places, with harmonies ranging from melancholic and hypnotic to epic and uplifting. I am always stunned when guitar playing is able to create a certain mood. Pitched against the hefty and crunchy basis chords this effect comes into full force here.

From the desolate spell woven by “Echoes of the Past”, with its whirling tremolo harmonies and subtle threads of glimmering lead melodies, until the straight yet groovy aggressiveness combined with the deluge of rippling blast-beats of “The Invocation of Erra” Nyktophobia are doing an outstanding job in entertaining the listener. The rest of the album follows suit, constantly shifting and changing while following clear patterns, with actual, proper riffs finding their way to the surface amongst the assault, coupled with tasteful leads that often add a sense of black metal melodies to the whole affair. The drumming is also top notch and I somehow got the impression that the man behind the kind got a bit more room to show his skills this time around, with some of the blasting sections being spectacular.

This album alternates between the mid-range and upper range of the guitar over nonstop blast beats, trading tremolo riffs back and forth before dropping into a slower, more melancholy section that breaks up the flurried wall of sound. Small touches make the difference between the single songs, with some cleverly implemented tempo changes adding more layers to the music. Tomasz is on fire again, and his roaring and commanding vocals give Nyktophobia another advantage over their peers. Some of the chorus parts and vocal harmonies might be among the most memorable ones I have heard within the sub-genre for a long time.

So with the musical aspects all covered, what else is there to say? The production is spot on and in my books flawless. Perfectly crisp and punchy, with the guitars getting the much needed room to work their magic. Purists might argue that metal should not sound as polished and perfect, but I love it. The overall sound of “What Lasts Forever” might even have a bit more power than on the previous two albums. The amazing cover is the icing on the cake, rounding off what is my personal melodic death metal record of the year and generally speaking surely a contender for the YE best of list. Beside the CD version there are also some vinyl editions available this time, so hurry up in case you are interested in one of those.