Review by Fernando on December 12, 2021.

Black metal is often known for being sinister and ugly, and of course raw. In fact, there’s been a recent surge of raw black metal bands and as it's often the case, the massive influx of bands having virtually the same sound and presentation comes at the cost of the trend being tiresome. Which brings me to Nocturnal Wanderer, a solo project from Oregon (which seems to be a wellspring of US extreme metal right now) and their surprise debut album Gift Of The Night.

I first learned of this project from another Oregon based black metal band, Eosphoros, promoting the band’s then upcoming debut. When the album was finally released, I was actually caught off guard by it in a very good way. The music is very much black metal, but instead of the aforementioned sinister and ugly sound, this was surprisingly melodic, epic but also very somber and melancholic. Nocturnal Wanderer displays a guitar driven style of black metal that’s reminiscent of the Greek and even Swedish sound, people familiar with early Rotting Christ as well as Arckanum will be eased into this album no problem, but where Nocturnal Wanderer differs greatly from those clear influences is in how the music is executed. There’s a classic heavy metal sense of melodicism combined with a thrash metal edge that are then brought together by the very gothic atmosphere, which is appropriate as the band’s concept and lyrics focus entirely on the night and darkness. The themes go hand in hand with the music, and the end result is an album that’s equal parts raw, savage and intense, but also very atmospheric and with a melancholic edge through melodicism. The band accomplished this in a very short time, at 30 minutes the record is long enough to be a full length but in that short amount of time you’re taken through a journey exploring both the majesty and terror of the night. The last track 'The Amberdawn', truly encapsulates that last aspect by being a slow and atmospheric dirge driven by a dual guitar melody with nighttime ambiance and a very effective breakdown with all the instruments joining in.

In terms of instrumentation, the guitar is the major standout. The individual behind the project’s favored instrument is very clearly guitar enthusiast but what’s impressive isn’t just the speed and riffs, it's actually the slower and more contemplative parts where the music slows down, as well as the excellent solos. But the guitar isn’t the only noteworthy aspect, the bass is also a very prominent and essential instrument in the whole experience, and it complements the guitar perfectly in both the fast and slow sections, which is also where the drums are worth mentioning as well. The drumming is fairly standard, there’s the obvious blast beats and double bass drum, but its efficiency is in switching into the slower parts alongside the strings. The final aspect of the instrumentation is the vocals which are actually somewhat sparse, the focus is more on the instruments and vocals are there to complete the experience, in that regard they’re successful and effective, the raspy anguished howls fit the music and theme very well, but that’s about it.

The last aspect of the album worth mentioning is the production. I opened this review mentioning the current trend of raw black metal because the production and sound are very raw and this is where most people would find fault with the album as there is a muffled and compressed sound which could come off as unappealing. But despite that, the sound isn’t inaudible, on the contrary, the simplistic instrumentation makes the riffs, melodies and even the atmospherics have that raw edge that completes the experience. It will certainly take some getting used to to the raw sound, but every single aspect coalesces into a very unique experience with a very fresh execution.

Overall, Nocturnal Wanderer was a very welcomed surprise this year, one that’s worth keeping an ear out for whatever they do next.

Best tracks: 'Twilight Befell', 'Sentient Shadows', 'Distant Stars In Distant Skies'

Rating: 8.3 out of 10