Nefastis rises from the ashes.
After a demo in 2010 and a debut album in 2014, the Italian band remained silent, but finally returned in 2026 with a very different style. Simone Colombo (vocals/guitars), Andrea Lenzi (guitars/backing vocals/orchestrations), Fulvio Manganini (bass), and Claudio Invidia (drums) present their new album, Shadows at the Light of Dawn, on Rockshots Records.
They are joined by Federico Pennazzato (Morgana, ex-Death SS) on drums, Simone Campete on orchestrations, and Iacopo Hacken on piano.
The album begins with Cosmic Silence at the Edge of the New World, a long introduction where symphonic elements gradually fall into place, quickly followed by harmonics and solos that make the rhythm a little more lively, then the sound explodes on Shadow Spell, transforming into a veritable wave of rage where screams finally intervene. The mix oscillates between Black Metal and rather theatrical Gothic Metal, and we see the same thing with Seduced by the Beauty of the Darkness, which follows on with a sound that is still majestic and tortured but controlled from start to finish, while the atmosphere calms down again for the slow and progressive Absence of Illumination. The track is shorter and exclusively instrumental, reminiscent of a long, elaborate interlude that holds our attention before darkening once again for Tears of the Past, which is much more aggressive and revives the vocals with an interesting fervor. The complex guitars are still present, but we sense that care has also been taken with the rhythm section, as on Vortex of Light, which strikes us next, offering fierce passages topped with keyboards and other ambient elements that sometimes border on the neoclassical. There is another instrumental break for Lights of Dawn, a track that starts out fairly simple and minimalist but gradually adds new elements to recapture our attention before leading us to Alone Again, where we find catchy, jerky parts, but also screams that once again fill the moments of raw energy. There is another acceleration for Stardust, a track that is even more devastating than the previous ones and which does not hesitate to include powerful drum parts that easily rival the big names in Symphonic Death Metal, but Blackened Vision once again returns to gentleness. The sound intensifies halfway through the track, bringing back the bass, guitar, and drums to finally join Collapsing Dream, where the band returns to darkness and aggression, retaining a sense of haunting beauty while welcoming Rehn Stillnight (Nocturna) on female vocals, creating some very interesting duets, as on Flowers Swept Away by the Autumn, the last track that closes this chapter with a fairly marked contrast, but one that sticks in the mind and shows the richness of the band.
With Shadows at the Light of Dawn, we discover a whole new version of Nefastis, much darker and featuring long, elaborate instrumental passages. The interludes sometimes break the rhythm a little, but the desired atmosphere is quickly restored.
75/100
