ALBUM REVIEW: What Lasts Forever – Nyktophobia

German melodic death metal outfit NYKTOPHOBIA are as old-school and independent as it gets. Like clockwork the German quintet release a new record every year or two to minimal fanfare, in spite of their material proving to be some of the very best melodic death metal in the scene. Their debut, Fallen Empire, was a masterclass in how to perform old-school melodeath without leaning into derivative realms, while Fate of Atlantis kept the incredibly high quality rolling ever forward. With their third offering, What Lasts Forever, seeing the light of day after the band’s longest gap yet – still only an impressive two-year turnover, though – can NYKTOPHOBIA keep the momentum going on their old-school, underground approach? 

A sombre string section opens What Lasts Forever with Once, before an onslaught of huge, melancholic riffwork leads into Echoes of the Past. Here, we get a real taste of NYKTOPHOBIA‘s unique brand of melodic death metal; a raw, European old-school death metal foundation with elements of melodic black metal seeping in, delivering a sombre atmosphere and earworm melodies aplenty. Right from the outset for Echoes of the Past, there’s a slightly chaotic feel – the leads and vocals taking prominence while the riffing and air-tight drum work creates a maelstrom underneath, adding to the raw feel the record immediately establishes.

From here, the quintet power on with incredible quality. Nightwanderer takes a faster approach, adding to the chaos Echoes of the Past established and bringing a tangible sense of urgency, while The Appearance of the Seven Suns brings a grandiose turn into play. Epic, brutalising and melancholic all in the same breath, The Appearance of the Seven Suns immediately establishes itself as an album highlight, with the blackened elements taking a more prominent role amid the melody-drenched leads. Meanwhile, Yearning from an Uncharted Grave carries a sense of misery that one might expect from such a title, sombre melo-black riffing and classic death metal grooves trading off against each other wonderfully. Another highlight.

In almost no time, NYKTOPHOBIA are on the final stretch of What Lasts Forever – but at no point do they ease up on the pressure. Beyond the Horizon again sees the Germans lean into the grandiose, epic elements of their sound to great effect, while the title track delivers a vicious barrage of blackened melo-death at its best. And just like that, we’re onto the closing couplet. The Invocation of Erra does a wonderful job as the penultimate number in bringing the atmosphere of What Lasts Forever almost to a head, the sombre riffing taking a bittersweet slant before Moribund rounds the record off beautifully. Serving as a countering bookend to Once, Moribund is dominated by heartwrenching strings, before a doomy onslaught brings the record to a misery drenched close.

A European band falling under the melodic death metal tag carries certain connotations; big, anthemic choruses, overly clean production, riffs composed entirely of Slaughter of the Soul worship and potentially incredibly cheesy power metal influences creeping in to bring a sense of levity. What Lasts Forever has none of this. Rather, NYKTOPHOBIA delve into realms of pure sonic darkness, the melody from their melodic death metal categorisation coming more from atmosphere and a sombre, Swedish black metal influence than AT THE GATES or IN FLAMES worship. Once again, the Germans have delivered arguably the best melodeath record of the year while buried deep in the obscurity of the underground.

Rating: 8/10

What Lasts Forever is out now via self-release. 

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