For those who do not know, Nyktophobia means a fear of the dark. I imagine a full quarter of those reading this have started whistling or imitating the air raid siren. Nyktophobia don’t have any particular ties to that sound, but it’s still a good name for them as their fourth album, To The Stars, features a dark and emotional take on melodic death metal. Now you’re probably thinking about Insomnium and there’s certainly a resemblance there, but Nyktophobia are taking a more aggressive stance than the Finnish gloomsters. That’s one tough needle to thread in what feels like an increasingly crowded space.
Nyktophobia have been getting attention though. They sound like they’ve already got it. There’s an assurance to their musicianship and a big production that makes them sound major label rather than unsigned. That’s not necessarily a good thing though. The lack of dynamic range mutes many of the transitions that could have really ramped up To The Stars’ emotional moments. They go for the guttural roar over speedy riff intro ender a few times – think Dark Tranquillity‘s “Edenspring” – but it doesn’t have the impact because the next riff sounds very similar. The tendency to revisit the same ideas and the loud production also helps make To The Stars sound a bit too predictable and like every other melodeath album.
And yet I keep listening over and over.
Nyktophobia might feel like they’re going for a simple, familiar recipe, but they cook it just right. It’s non-stop catchy riffs over Michiel van der Plicht’s propulsive drumwork and Tomasz Wisniewski’s articulate growls and snarls. It helps that To The Stars is very backloaded, ensuring each listen ends in a good mood. “Progenitor” has a very Insomnium-esque piano intro that gives way to classic In Flames melodies. “Behind The Stars Exists No Light” rides surging tremolo melodies to a melancholic end. “Millenium” is centered around one riff played with endlessly and one of Wisniewski’s more forceful performances. Outro “Voyager I” brings out the atmoblack keyboards to add a suitably epic note to To The Stars’ ending. If every song had been like these, this would be a very different review.
I have a bad tendency to focus too much on bands’ futures and not their presents but I can’t help but do so here. To The Stars will divide melodeath fans due to its faithfulness to the genre template, providing a much needed fix to some and sending others to sleep. Nyktophobia themselves feel like a band whose next album could be a hyped band on a big label – or one that never makes it. They could refine their dark impulses to create something truly captivating, or head down the Amon Amarth route of loud and hooky. The potential is there for anything and now I want to know whether Nyktophobia will make it to the stars or not.
