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NIGHT OF THE VAMPIRE
The Enchanting Winds Of The Dreamweaving Masquerade

Profound Lore (2026)
Rating: 6.5/10

Often ignored by the metal press due to their veering towards dark wave and synth, Texas outfit Night Of The Vampire still deserves your attention due to its black metal streaks. Created by the mysterious Astral Shadow, Night Of The Vampire also brings elements of Goth and post-punk, so the levels of intrigue have always been high since the release of 2022’s Eternal Night EP.

Many will welcome a full-length, one which boasts convoluted track titles and enough darkish kitsch to keep you interested at least for a handful of spins. Sure, there’s nothing new when it comes to the premise of occult dark wave rock, it seems that nowadays everyone and their dog is puking out a similar eclectic throwback tip. Admittedly I had a few concerns that my attention may wane throughout, but Mr Shadow is savvy enough to keep the experience relatively short but always catchy.

The standout track here is opener ‘Children Of The Immortal Blood’ which showcases a potential not necessarily evident in other songs. A majority of the album is pretty simple, not quite one dimensional, but when you hear the multiple layers on ‘Children Of The Immortal Blood’ you begin to realise what’s missing from the other tracks which follow. There’s a genuine fluidity to the atmospheric and often cheery marrying of traditional metal, dark synth and black metal as the vocals eerily drift from phantasmal moans to nefarious snaps.

For me, the main influence is the often ignored 80s German dark wave band Warning, although I’m sure the edgy hipsters will compare to the overrated mob Black Magick SS. Either way, the album unravels in rather pleasant fashion, never once dipping into levels of gloom in spite of the whiff of dungeon musk. The Gothic fragrances tend to lean towards a bit of The Sisters Of Mercy and Christian Death at times, although with less punch. I guess to an extent this is the sort of music which will appeal more to those with no prior knowledge of the aforementioned bands.

‘Chasing Shadows In An Ocean Of Time’ is a strong number blessed with a killer riff that sounds like it’s been plucked from Mötley Crüe’s 1983 album Shout At The Devil. The vocals are the expected wishy-washy gurgles and the synths play a good part too. ‘The Cosmic Darkness Calls Me Home’ sounds like an 80s sci-fi horror soundtrack, and ‘The Prince Of Many Faces And The Lady Of The Night’ drifts like some melodious 80s Goth track layered with vocal gasps. After a while though, many of the songs become a backdrop, a background hum that doesn’t quite hit the sweet spot. It’s mildly macabre at best; a record that I’m sure will cause fervour initially but won’t remain on the turntable for long.

Neil Arnold

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