One thing Nachtmystium’s latest offering Silencing Machine is not, and that’s Black Meddle pt. 3. Sure, there are still elements of the last two records in here (“The Lepers Of Destitution”, “Borrowed Hope And Broken Dreams”) but for the most part SM is a great big “Fuck You!” from mastermind Blake Judd to those who thought he’d forgotten his roots.
With the industrial romp of “As Made” out of the Nachtmystium system, it’s time to focus on some straight up metal and nothing says “We’re back!” better than the gigantic mean motherfucker of an opener that is “Dawn Over the Ruins of Jerusalem”. Unlike “High On Hate” off of 2010’s Addicts, this opener is no ruse. It’s a straight up declaration and sees Nachtmystium doing what they do best once again. The previously released title track follows suit and just destroys, especially when the huge chorus kicks in amidst eerie electronics.
That’s not to say all experimentation is out the window. What kind of a band would Nachtmystium be if they just threw away the lessons learned from their previous two outings? A songs like “And I Control You” is one of the bands’ most sinister yet moves at half speed. “Decimation, Annihilation” is like a Black Metal version of a Punk song while “Give Me The Grave” is undoubtedly brutal but is quite possibly one of the most accessible Nachtmystium songs to date.
Credit Blake Judd, whose vision for Nachtmystium has taken the band out of their comfort zone again and again and redefined Black Metal. It looks like the genre will be evolving once again thanks to Silencing Machine which is destined to be a defining album.
Silencing Machine is out on July 31st through Century Media. Check out CMDistro.com for some great pre-order deals.
Grade: A