ALBUM REVIEW: Nyctophobic – Terromania

As the end of the year approaches, it’s becoming even more evident that melodic death metal is having a resurgence of sorts. Last year saw the debut album from THE HALO EFFECT (a group consisting of many alumni from the genre), the release of the career-defining Halo by AMORPHIS, and another unsurprisingly excellent record from SOILWORK. This year we saw that momentum continue as the godfathers of the genre IN FLAMES made a partial return to their older sound with Foregone, as well as bold and brilliant work from the likes of INSOMNIUM and ENSLAVED, to name but a few.

While there have been periods over the last 20 years where the genre lay quiet, the fire behind it never fully went out, and thankfully there are still new bands emerging that look to embrace or adapt this sound. Finland’s TERROMANIA are one such band that proclaim themselves as influenced by the genre, and while they undoubtedly channel some of the DNA of their ancestors, their interpretation often strays from the typical tenets of the genre. Their debut album Nyctophobic is a unique, if somewhat flawed, take on what popularised the style.

To categorise TERROMANIA’s sound on Nyctophobic solely as melodeath can sometimes feel like a stretch when listening to this release, and it isn’t quite fair to slot them comfortably into this category. There are moments of the trademark heaviness and there are melodic guitar riffs aplenty on the likes of Lake Natron and the album-highlight Demon In The Rain, but these elements are merely one part of the amalgamation. There are some characteristics of Nyctophobic that can be compared to the likes of CHILDREN OF BODOM, particularly the incorporation of synth and classic rock into the heavier moments of this album, but frontman Julius Silvennoinen’s deep vocals are very distinct from their contemporaries and offer a different perspective on the genre.

TERROMANIA list Swedish band AVATAR among their influences, and this gothic-rock slant also comes through strongly on the opening tracks Ceremonial Graveyard and Dead & Loved By You. Lyrically and thematically, their tongue couldn’t be pressed further in their cheek at times. They might not stray as close to parody as the likes of LORDI, but in terms of their core sound, the comparison isn’t completely unmerited. They certainly share more in common with horror-rock than they do to their heavier stablemates, even if they don’t chart on the same scale of camp comedic silliness.

There are attempts at sincerity on tracks like Fight The Inner Darkness which opens with a welcome and more mellow change of pace, but this isn’t a common occurrence. The follow-up track In A Broken Mirror starts off along a similar path before pivoting immediately back to the strange mix of glam and melodeath, topped with an endearing sprinkle of goofiness with lyrics about travelling through space, meeting aliens, and wearing “the Milky Way as a necklace”.

TERROMANIA are ultimately carried by their bouncing energy and their numerous attempts at big choruses. On Nyctophobic each track seems geared towards becoming an earworm, and the effort that has gone into trying to achieve this is palpable, but there are few truly interesting moments. The prevailing feeling of this album is one of fun; these tracks could make for an electric live performance, but on a studio release the effect is somewhat diminished. Nyctophobic will undoubtedly charm a select audience with its many hooks and heavier moments, but only those willing to embrace the campy, shock-rock tone will truly find something to love here.

Rating: 6/10

Nyctophobic is set for release on November 17th via Ripple Music.

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