Drama Noir unveils its third chapter.
Formed in Greece in 2017, the band now consisting of Mephisto (guitar/keyboards, ex-Disharmony), Peisithanatos (bass, Corax B.M), Yngve (drums, Flames, Gungnir, Afterblood, ex-Vomit Church…), Vampyrpriest (guitar), and Tenevris (vocals, Evil Within) has announced the release of Nightfall upon the Asylum, through Floga Records.
The album opens with a theatrical introduction, joined by ominous choirs, then by jerky saturated riffs before 284 Green Street Avenue starts between its heady melodies and massive screams. The band welcomes Sakis Prekas (W.E.B.) to bring visceral parts to life with the vocalist while orchestrations strengthen a dark rhythmic, creating a real hurricane of massive and heady sounds. There is also a very melodic approach on leads, then a very worrying one on the break before Risen to Avenge allows us a short moment to catch our breath, followed by a much more impressive rhythmic, always accompanied by heavy orchestrations. The contrast is developed as soon as frantic leads appear, but the band keeps all its majestic elements with Vultu Tenebrarum and its almost martial sounds that accentuate once again the oppression developed by the influences between Black and Atmospheric Death. The atmosphere continues to darken with Blood Wedding and its relatively modern intro sample, which will give way to a keyboard which seems to be straight out of vampire movies, then to a raw and Old School but still quite melodious rhythmic. Operatic vocals perfectly blend with hoarse screams while the instrumental takes us on a journey to Shepherd of the Lost and its melancholic tones which become disturbing when voices appear. The powerful and jerky riffs will appear again, opening the way for massive vocal parts, as well as for the dark interventions, pacing the march in darkness before The Quest of the Unknown Kaddath lets the musicians unveil aggressive Old School sounds. The addition of orchestrations and vocal variations remains a real asset to give aggressive riffs an impressive dimension, as well as to aerial Gothic harmonics like on The Ghost Ship, the following track, which is much more moody and heavy while leaving the vocalist a greater freedom. The short composition will be followed by Nightfall Upon the Asylum, the eponymous track, which will reveal an intense orchestral climax to which the aggressive and scathing instrumental parts are skillfully grafted, completed by expressive screams, piercing leads and an as majestic as expressive approach to close the album.
Whether darkness easily invades Nightfall upon the Asylum, Drama Noir slowly moves into the light with a third quality opus, which naturally mixes raw and powerful riffs with theatrical orchestrations and screams.
85/100