Review by Fernando on August 26, 2024.

Back in 2021, Nocturnal Wanderer spawned from the darkness with a short but sweet album that perfectly blended raw black metal with classic metal melodicism akin to Hellenic black metal, and three years later, the project has awoken with an even more substantial record that doubles down on all the best qualities of the debut, while also injecting some punk bravado into the mix.

The album opens in a triumphant and forlorn fashion, where Nocturnal Wanderer display all their strengths. However, the first thing anyone familiar with this project will notice is the uptick in production quality. I’ve railed against how the late 2010s and early 2020s had this glut of raw black metal bands that overplayed the “rawness” with production that was at best sloppy and at worst inexistent, and while Nocturnal Wanderer’s debut also had a production that could feel like a hurdle, they have certainly course corrected for the sophomore. The Evernight perfectly finds that sweet spot between where the sound quality is raw and gritty, but clear enough where the riffs, melodies, and especially the bass really pop to the benefit of the music.

Furthermore, the songwriting has also seen substantial improvements, the compositions are much richer and dynamic, and there’s a greater sense of structure and melody that was present in the debut, but it’s much more developed here. The first four songs, aka side A, is the project in top form, from punk-infused riffage to more melodic sombreness. However, it is on side B, or the last 5 songs where the album truly soars. The momentum of the first half is kept and maintained, but the variety is doubled down, and where the project really hones into the classicism of metal in a way that’s become less and less frequent in black metal. The mixture of old-school metal melodicism, punk attitude, and the overall gothic atmospheres of a dark forest at night synthesizes into a well-rounded album that has a real sense of identity and consistency but with enough variety and unique left turns to keep you engaged.

The last thing I want to highlight is the final songs, the first being a cover of The Damned’s classic song 'Wait For The Blackout', which is an interesting choice of song to cover in black metal but it also makes sense. The entire record mixes old-school metal and black metal with punk, so a cover by a perennial punk band who were also significant for goth rock is both appropriate and the overall performance is consistent with the rest of the album, even if the more catchy melodies and clean singing might stand out. And then the album closes exactly like the previous record did with an instrumental piece, but this one, titled ‘Dismaylight’ is a pure dark ambient track composed of a solitary synth and the sounds of crickets, to perfectly encapsulate the album as a whole, forlorn darkness while marveling at the majesty and beauty of the night.

Overall, this is another excellent record by Nocturnal Wanderer, and I hope this project sticks around the long term because it's clear that the three-year gap was very well spent in fleshing out such a good record. While it may not be the most original project in the world, this is still a masterful display of black metal with all its best qualities.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Fernando on August 26, 2024.

Back in 2021, Nocturnal Wanderer spawned from the darkness with a short but sweet album that perfectly blended raw black metal with classic metal melodicism akin to Hellenic black metal, and three years later, the project has awoken with an even more substantial record that doubles down on all the best qualities of the debut, while also injecting some punk bravado into the mix.

The album opens in a triumphant and forlorn fashion, where Nocturnal Wanderer display all their strengths. However, the first thing anyone familiar with this project will notice is the uptick in production quality. I’ve railed against how the late 2010s and early 2020s had this glut of raw black metal bands that overplayed the “rawness” with production that was at best sloppy and at worst inexistent, and while Nocturnal Wanderer’s debut also had a production that could feel like a hurdle, they have certainly course corrected for the sophomore. The Evernight perfectly finds that sweet spot between where the sound quality is raw and gritty, but clear enough where the riffs, melodies, and especially the bass really pop to the benefit of the music.

Furthermore, the songwriting has also seen substantial improvements, the compositions are much richer and dynamic, and there’s a greater sense of structure and melody that was present in the debut, but it’s much more developed here. The first four songs, aka side A, is the project in top form, from punk-infused riffage to more melodic sombreness. However, it is on side B, or the last 5 songs where the album truly soars. The momentum of the first half is kept and maintained, but the variety is doubled down, and where the project really hones into the classicism of metal in a way that’s become less and less frequent in black metal. The mixture of old-school metal melodicism, punk attitude, and the overall gothic atmospheres of a dark forest at night synthesizes into a well-rounded album that has a real sense of identity and consistency but with enough variety and unique left turns to keep you engaged.

The last thing I want to highlight is the final songs, the first being a cover of The Damned’s classic song 'Wait For The Blackout', which is an interesting choice of song to cover in black metal but it also makes sense. The entire record mixes old-school metal and black metal with punk, so a cover by a perennial punk band who were also significant for goth rock is both appropriate and the overall performance is consistent with the rest of the album, even if the more catchy melodies and clean singing might stand out. And then the album closes exactly like the previous record did with an instrumental piece, but this one, titled ‘Dismaylight’ is a pure dark ambient track composed of a solitary synth and the sounds of crickets, to perfectly encapsulate the album as a whole, forlorn darkness while marveling at the majesty and beauty of the night.

Overall, this is another excellent record by Nocturnal Wanderer, and I hope this project sticks around the long term because it's clear that the three-year gap was very well spent in fleshing out such a good record. While it may not be the most original project in the world, this is still a masterful display of black metal with all its best qualities.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Greg on February 11, 2024.

Spanning more than two decades by now, thrash metal's rebirth is going strong year after year, with young (and less young) metalheads around the world not showing any signs of getting tired of it. Among the countless twists to the original formula that have surfaced so far, opposed to the most original and ambitious efforts are many others which are simply redundant, and wouldn't have added anything new even twenty-something years earlier. Somewhere in the middle lies Dying World, the latest instalment by German act Full Assault.

So, by 2024, it's hard to write about an album that doesn't 'exceed' or surprise in any aspect whatsoever. I also seem to attract a lot of new bands jumping on the modern-day Kreator bandwagon recently. Dying World is, for now, the latest entry in that list. Axeman Fränk the Tänk doesn't shine as an extremely technical player, but sure took his time to adorn each of the nine tracks with little melodic touches and lead lines here and there. You can pick out any song to verify, although 'Edge Of A Collapse' is where the dude takes it one step further, with the riffing that could be compared to something like Killswitch Engage's thrashiest moments. Said comparison, luckily, doesn't extend to the vocals, where frontman Robsess remains firmly within national borders, especially recalling Pessimist's Michael "TZ" Schweitzer at these ears. Elsewhere, the more traditional opener 'Final Dawn Of Light' and 'Signs Of The End', along with the slower, but super effective 'Vengeance...Victory', complete an honestly successful first stint.

Central track 'All Hope Is Gone' is where some cracks start to show. To clarify, the track itself is probably the best 'pure' thrasher to be found on Dying World, but it's also notable for its awkward – or should I say, non-existent – transitions. Seriously, the whole thing feels so clunky it's hard to believe. Nevertheless, the song isn't a complete watershed as much as it's, most likely, the point where you'll notice how the recipe doesn't radically change throughout the tracklist. There aren't any flat-out 'bad' tracks, and 'Planet Grave' stands out a bit with its speedier character and spot-on melodic ending – it's just that I can't listen to, say, 'Apocalyptic World' without thinking that 'Edge Of A Collapse' did the same things six tracks earlier. 'Piece Of Cloth' attempts an epic closer, but it's hardly a surprise at this point, after having tried to shoehorn a solemn refrain in every track prior to it.

Nonetheless, I did not get the Fueled By Fire/Merciless Death copycat I was expecting from a moniker like Full Assault, so I guess I've been somewhat surprised, after all. I've mentioned Pessimist above and I'm tempted to say Dying World is more or less at the level of their latest "Holdout", arguably lacking a must-hear track like 'Landsknecht' was, as well as any kind of overt Sodom influences, but making up for it with consistency and a more than solid first half. Good for what it is, but you can live without it.

Also, if you dig this, you might want to check out "Martyr" from Luxembourgish neighbours Scarlet Anger.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Review by Greg on February 11, 2024.

Spanning more than two decades by now, thrash metal's rebirth is going strong year after year, with young (and less young) metalheads around the world not showing any signs of getting tired of it. Among the countless twists to the original formula that have surfaced so far, opposed to the most original and ambitious efforts are many others which are simply redundant, and wouldn't have added anything new even twenty-something years earlier. Somewhere in the middle lies Dying World, the latest instalment by German act Full Assault.

So, by 2024, it's hard to write about an album that doesn't 'exceed' or surprise in any aspect whatsoever. I also seem to attract a lot of new bands jumping on the modern-day Kreator bandwagon recently. Dying World is, for now, the latest entry in that list. Axeman Fränk the Tänk doesn't shine as an extremely technical player, but sure took his time to adorn each of the nine tracks with little melodic touches and lead lines here and there. You can pick out any song to verify, although 'Edge Of A Collapse' is where the dude takes it one step further, with the riffing that could be compared to something like Killswitch Engage's thrashiest moments. Said comparison, luckily, doesn't extend to the vocals, where frontman Robsess remains firmly within national borders, especially recalling Pessimist's Michael "TZ" Schweitzer at these ears. Elsewhere, the more traditional opener 'Final Dawn Of Light' and 'Signs Of The End', along with the slower, but super effective 'Vengeance...Victory', complete an honestly successful first stint.

Central track 'All Hope Is Gone' is where some cracks start to show. To clarify, the track itself is probably the best 'pure' thrasher to be found on Dying World, but it's also notable for its awkward – or should I say, non-existent – transitions. Seriously, the whole thing feels so clunky it's hard to believe. Nevertheless, the song isn't a complete watershed as much as it's, most likely, the point where you'll notice how the recipe doesn't radically change throughout the tracklist. There aren't any flat-out 'bad' tracks, and 'Planet Grave' stands out a bit with its speedier character and spot-on melodic ending – it's just that I can't listen to, say, 'Apocalyptic World' without thinking that 'Edge Of A Collapse' did the same things six tracks earlier. 'Piece Of Cloth' attempts an epic closer, but it's hardly a surprise at this point, after having tried to shoehorn a solemn refrain in every track prior to it.

Nonetheless, I did not get the Fueled By Fire/Merciless Death copycat I was expecting from a moniker like Full Assault, so I guess I've been somewhat surprised, after all. I've mentioned Pessimist above and I'm tempted to say Dying World is more or less at the level of their latest "Holdout", arguably lacking a must-hear track like 'Landsknecht' was, as well as any kind of overt Sodom influences, but making up for it with consistency and a more than solid first half. Good for what it is, but you can live without it.

Also, if you dig this, you might want to check out "Martyr" from Luxembourgish neighbours Scarlet Anger.

Rating: 7 out of 10