Nightsatan are one of what I can’t help but think of as the “token” bands – a band who sign to a primarily Metal label, are championed by Metal musicians (in this case, Reverend Bizarre’s Albert Witchfinder, who’s performed with them live) and receive rave reviews from Metal sites, but don’t actually play Metal. It’s easy to be cynical about why these bands target themselves at a Metal audience, and why they largely seem to lack acceptance amongst whatever scene they should be a part of, but some quality acts have taken this route in the past.
Nightsatan play evocative, moody synth-soundscapes most easily comparable to Goblin (and modern imitators Zombi), Vangelis or the soundtracks to eighties and nineties action movies. The soundtrack comparison is no coincidence – Nightsatan And The Loops Of Doom (Svart Records) is ostensibly the soundtrack to a short movie of the same name (though the album is longer than the film) which, if the trailer is to be believed, consists of the three fantastically-costumed band members walking across a desert getting into poorly-choreographed fights. The music mirrors this with sinuous pulses, echoing beats and a kind of vintage-sinister atmosphere.
The main strengths and weaknesses of the album are the same that affect most soundtracks. This is music that’s been designed to support visual images – removed from those images you have music that can be evocative or boring depending on the listener’s mood. My own biggest issue with the music here was the lack of hooks or audible drama – atmosphere is built, but within any clear outcome it is often left simply to fall into the background and be ignored.
Being a clear homage to a particular style of music, aimed primarily at an audience that perhaps doesn’t possess the full critical context to judge it fairly, it’s easy to see …Loops Of Doom as something of a gimmick album. Certainly I have my doubts how long the appeal will remain after the novelty has faded. It is, however, a well-executed and engaging gimmick that yields up some pleasing pieces of music, at least for a while.
6/10
RICHIE H-R