Symphonic blackened death metal about depression? Yeah that seems like a good time. Such is the case with the bombastic and charming poetry of At Night We Prey the first record in seven years from the masterful Nightfall. A record that deals with mental health in a very direct and brutal way, this is the bands strongest effort to date full of deep compositions and thoughtful approaches that make for a very interesting all around offering. It's a record that, while not reinventing the steel, finds a way to carve out a unique niche for itself.
At Night We Prey features some truly excellent melodic hooks that sets the record in a league of its own. Toss in a few surprisingly big choruses and you start to get a sense of just exactly what Nightfall are trying to accomplish here. It's a record that is grandiose and powerful, but also very personal. A track like 'Darkness Forever' speaks to a sort of internal torment that you can't just make up. It's a pleasure to really get lost in the heavy riffing magic of this record and to find yourself basking in the production. The end result is a record that is as poetic as it is powerful, constantly leaning into exciting new ideas and conjuring up potent imagery.
While there are moments of At Night We Prey that sound a bit dated (Like with most symphonic death metal if we're being honest) as a general rule, the record overcomes these limitations. Yes some of the ideas have been used before and obviously depression is not exactly a new topic, but still, the way that Nightfall delivers on At Night We Prey is thrilling. It's a delight to just sink your teeth into this madness and come to terms with the titanic and tormented offerings that the band has really been able to conjure up here.
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