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THE NIGHT ETERNAL
Fatale

Ván (2023)
Rating: 8/10

The front cover of this release most certainly drew me in and I was soon to find myself inhabiting a world ruled by a vocalist whose Gothic warbles sound like a throwback to UK punk legend Dave Vanian from The Damned. In spite of being a German “heavy metal” band, The Night Eternal have a brooding charm about their sound which takes me back to the days of dusted leather jackets, rainy bass lines and graveyard tremors.

Dripping with occultism which is at times borderline doomy, yet on a lighter scale, Fatale rumbles with an enchanting fluidity as vocalist Ricardo Baum leads us on a merry dance down shadowy paths and crooked corridors. From the opening melancholic rattling of ‘In Tartarus’ there exists such a Gothic odour that blends patchouli oil, dirty rain and damp leaves which conjures images of ivy strewn walls, crumbling headstones and mournful skies.

Strangely, the band never approaches a full on metallic edge despite this being a heavy metal opus. When you hear a song like ‘We Praise Death’ you are transported back to smoky clubs where women adorned in black shuffle on the dance floor like romantic, wistful spectres. But behind such evocative images there remains a sturdy backbone of hard rock that drives the likes of ‘Ionean Sea’ and ‘Run With The Wolves’.

However, this is not an album bereft of weight because that darkened air always remains present. Songs like ‘Prometheus Unbound’ and more so ‘Between The Worlds’ run black and slick, channelling the demonic passion of The Cult fused with Danzig. And that’s the beauty of this record.

Fatale is moody, ominous and yet so danceable in its extravagance, reminding me of some early 90s alternative rock release that slipped under the radar of everyone except the chosen, fortunate few. Interesting stuff.

Neil Arnold

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