The band could try to shave the final chorus on certain songs, but that could produce some wonky compositions. I’m not sure that there’s an easy fix here. Part of the problem-as with the debut-remains Labrakis’s monotonous vocals. Despite shaving a shocking nine minutes off the debut, I wonder if Nite could go even further because the album still feels longer than its 37 minutes. Unfortunately, I don’t quite have a full-blown case of Moon madness. The tinkering with non-trad metal riff stylings in “Thorns” and “The Trident” demand the listener’s attention despite being in comparatively weaker songs to earlier standout tracks. “Acheron” and “Kronian Moon” are stellar would-be singles with their anthemic harmonized opening leads, while “Liber ex Doctrina” and “Heliopolis” are perfectly positioned as mid-album mini-epics. The album’s sequencing supports the improved editing. Whereas some of Darkness ’s best material was buried in a back half that had reviewers checking their watches, Moon ’s compositions consistently captivate. Since their debut-released just at the beginning of the pandemic-the members of Nite have become the quarantine masters of self-editing. It seems that the AMG Writing Staff are not the only ones taking their marching orders from Steel Druhm. This sucker is a whole nine minutes shorter than Darkness Silence Mirror Flame ’s 46 minutes, while still having eight tracks. Where Moon diverges sharply from Nite ’s debut is its length. Even where they do use the gallop (“Edge of the Night”), the leads atop make the result feel far more Thunder and Lightning -era Thin Lizzy than Iron Maiden.
the buzzing, evolving dissonant main riff of “Thorns” would be at home on a modern death record). Rather than fall prey to the Maiden Gallop of Diminishing Returns, Hoffman and Labrakis weave riffs from influences across the metal spectrum (e.g. Scott Hoffman’s and Van Labrakis’s guitar playing and killer guitar tones are of particular note. It would risk becoming repetitive, but the compositions vary so significantly that the album is never boring. But Nite particularly favors songwriting formulae emphasizing slowed, extended melodic bridges that lure you in before launching the final chorus and outro at tempo (“Liber ex Doctrina,” “Thorns”). Darkness Silence Mirror Flame featured a broader palette than much trad metal, with both moody cuts (“Lucifer)” and absolute scorchers (“Chains”).
Which is fine! The veteran chops of these members of Dawnbringer, High Spirits, and Satan’s Wrath have never been in doubt.
Musically, Voices of the Kronian Moon represents-at most-a refinement of Nite ’s blackened heavy metal. During the pandemic, have these Californians been taking Nite courses at the Steel School of Editing for Wayward Bands? Darkness Silence Mirror Flame piqued Steel Druhm ’s wizened and jaded ears, but the album’s length hard-capped its ceiling. So I was thrilled when our great ape overlord bestowed this formerly nameless n00b with Nite ’s sophomore album, Voices of the Kronian Moon. Whether it’s Midnight, Demiser, or Bewitcher, the juxtaposition of filthy vocals and NWoBHM leads never fails to shake me out of my stupor in the skull pit. There’s something about blackened vocals over trad stylings that just feels right.
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