ALBUM REVIEW: Cult of the Serpent Sun – Nite
With a masterful blend of traditional heavy metal and visceral black metal, San Francisco four-piece NITE arrived on the scene during a globally weird time. Bookending the pandemic with their debut 2020 album Darkness Silence Mirror Flame and 2022’s Voices Of The Kronian Moon, It was the latter that really engaged the wider masses. Lyrics swirling with mysticism, references to the occult and horror were the order of the day. The music fitted these themes to a tee building an atmosphere and setting the atmosphere precisely for each track. A winning formula, and one that NITE have sought to capitalise on. While heavy music often features the subject matter mentioned, NITE have crafted it to be integral to their personality. With their third release Cult Of The Serpent Sun, they have struck gold.
What is immediately apparent from this new record is that NITE are not trying to replicate what they have already achieved. There is a refined presence to their music. A greater attack that generates a commanding stance and dominates the entire album. Right from the introduction of the album with the title track with aggressive staccato opening notes, it’s clear that NITE are making a statement. There’s a swagger to the riffing and the strength of song writing is undeniable. The energy is captivating and generates an uncompromising aural attack. Their previous albums were largely written remotely with aspects shared digitally owing to restrictions. This one has the feel of a live experience, they were afforded the freedoms to write and record as a band and the organic power is translated perfectly onto the recording.
No mere flash in the pan. This album is gripping from the first note to the last. Tracks like Crow (Fear The Night), the enthralling Carry On and heavy weight closer Winds Of Sokar all define the essence of NITE. Previous releases, while having a production mix that encapsulated their desired delivery, have been eclipsed by those on show with Cult Of The Serpent Sun. The guitars dominate the soundscape with galloping riffs, melodic interplay and hook after hook delivered with aplomb. However, there is no detriment to the overall sound. The drums have flare and a driving force that is not lost in the mix, similarly the bass lines are not outgunned by the twin guitars and have their own space to drive the underpinning groove.
For a band that have established their themes in the phantasmagoria, with esoteric mystery and the occult with a healthy soupcon of horror. They are also able to tap into the current zeitgeist and more grounded emotion that many can relate to. For example, the triumphant The Last Blade takes on the spectre of nuclear events, which, given current events, is something of a topical discussion. The Mystic, with its doom laced beat and dramatic delivery is at first listen a heavily weighted black metal fusion. Has elements of emotive resonance with the birth of a child and how a new parent can come to terms with that.
A refinement in their production and an embrace of greater awareness of the human emotional experience as well as world events has led to NITE creating an album of enormous magnetism. If the preceding album made people take notice, this is the one to get them ensconced in record collections far and wide. They execute elements of traditional metal that will entice even the most denim and leather, patch sporting metalheads around. Simultaneously the guttural, aggressive black metal vocals will appeal to the more extreme fans. Include some first-rate song writing, modern metal approaches to mixing and exceptional musicianship, Cult Of The Serpent Sun is a landmark for NITE and for 2025.
Rating: 9/10
Cult Of The Serpent Sun is out now via Season of Mist.
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