NYCTOPHOBIA – To The Stars

RELEASE YEAR: 2024
BAND URL: https://nyktophobia.bandcamp.com/

As much as I appreciate complex and progressive direction in melodic death metal, sometimes I want my melodeath to be just a deluge of luscious melody as in Hypocrisy¹⁹⁹⁹, Insomnium’s Across The Dark²⁰⁰⁹ or Omnium Gatherum’s The Burning Cold²⁰¹⁸, and I am always happy to discover another fantastic album of that sort, such as is the 4th full length by German quintet Nyktophobia, To The Stars²⁰²⁴, released independently on July 5th and via band’s own Apostasy Records, an album full of fantastic and fresh melodies, riffs, and, most importantly, songs that get stuck in your head for days and refuse to leave it, and, finally, the production courtesy of Ricardo Borges’ mix and Tony Lingren’s mastering (the famous Fascination Street Studios!) is top notch.

At first, Nyktophobia (Latin for the fear of the dark and or night), founded by Michael Tybussek (guitars-present, bass-2017), Apostasy Records owner Tomasz Wiśniewski (vocals) and Christian Timmer (drums-2024, who left before “To The Stars” was recorded) in 2015, of whom Tybussek and Wiśniewski are the only remaining founders today, started out with Fallen Empire²⁰¹⁷ via Delicious Bowels Agency, an album which was a split between early Amon Amarth and early Insomnium, mostly kept on an even keel, followed by the independently released Fate Of Atlantis²⁰¹⁸ where they’ve made some improvement in structures and had a more powerful production, but it was the, again, independently released, 3rd album, What Lasts Forever²⁰²⁰ that brought them success and recognition as they started seriously experimenting within the genre. “To The Stars” takes it to levels previously only hinted at, technically not so different from the predecessor but the songwriting has improved so much that every track leaves an indelible mark. As we will also find out, the lyrics have shifted as well, from the ancient mythological to more contemporary philosophical since times are more urgent.

Tybussek and Wiśniewski have gained invaluable assist in Philip R. Reuter (2017-guitars, backing vocals), former December Flower bassist Ben Bays (2017-bass) and, recently, Pestilence and former Detonation, God Dethroned and Prostitute Disfigurement drummer Michiel van der Plicht (2024-drums) which overtime changed their “good melodeath” status to “fantastic” and, this, their 4th album is the evidence. Listen to the perfect, the favorite “Behind The Stars Exists No Light” evocative of both classic In Flames and Hypocrisy, where I counted 5 melodies, but, even more importantly, the track has a devastating quality of the fiercest death metal bordering on black known from The Jester Race¹⁹⁹⁶ or Into The Abyss²⁰⁰⁰ – if the Grammys were fair and cool, Nyktophobia should get one for that track. Elsewhere, Nyktophobia takes a page from Be’lakor in another perfection, “The Fall Of Eden”, again, equally melodic and death. Of course, the Amon Amarth and Insomnium influence does shine through the likes of “Farewell” and “Charon Gate”, respectively, but with the songwriting quality of The Avenger¹⁹⁹⁹ or Above The Weeping World²⁰⁰⁶ who really cares, especially when we reference early Dark Tranquillity (Millenium). Then there are those overtones alluding to the melodeathly side of the American metalcorians such as Trivium (“Voyager 1” strongly recalling the end of “When All Light Dies”) or Darkest Hour (Progenitor) sprinkled with some symphonic touches and sounds of chirping birds to emphasize the point.

And what is the point? The point, which I personally stand in opposition with but, nevertheless, fully understand given the pitiful and, would be laughable if it weren’t so heartbreaking, representation of the ministers of my position on Earth, again, then, the point Nyktophobia tries to make on this album is that there is a magnificent vast universe in which we, humans, with our minds helbent on self-destruction stick out like sore thumbs because there is no creator for good or for bad. We hear that “nothing seems to stay forever, even starlight has to wither” (Millennium) and we understand. We see “creation on its futile path obsessed to spot a godly sign” and “unborn bound in feeding tubes to seek an ancient source divine” and even “Faith…lost in the distance” (Behind the Stars Exists No Light) and we even agree that “the tree of life is withered and dead…over and done I make my own fate” and “Paradise taken away” (The Fall Of Eden) but not because it was “not for sin, not for eating from forbidden trees” and that there were “no deceit, nor seductive snakes” because it was precisely “just out of greed, for to reap its fertility” that “Eden died consumed and disgraced” but not because “God is dead, led astray by the ravenous shades, deserted his creation, unknowing as prey”, nor would I agree that therefore my “god (interestingly here with small “g”) forever failed” and beyond the skies there is no light just darkness that remains”, and, moreover, I am confident that Tomasz Wiśniewski & Co. are not atheistic (a firm and consistent disbelief in God or gods) here but agnostic (a weak and inconsistent disbelief in God or gods) because they give evidence of the latter throughout “To The Stars”.

The very album opens with a title track (the first song proper after the piano “The Gateway” intro) asserting that “though all seems lost (as it sure does) rise again, that nothing was in vain” but “far beyond this earth lies hope one day so far away” and that, therefore, one can be “forward dreaming, free of chains and time, leaving death and solitude with craving in the eyes” (Farewell), for “so many years in disbelief our gods for too long gone, so many years in disbelief our gods now may return” and “our fate is written in the stars the universe awaits” because “Faith is still the only given way to foreign coasts that no man knows” (Voyager 1). Therefore, I posit that Nyktophobia (after all, fear of darkness not light) are not so much disavowing faith but are very much like the father of a demoniac son who, when told by the Sun Of Righteousness, my Lord Jesus Christ, that “if you can believe, all things are possible for him who believes”, tearfully replied “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief” and his faith delivered his son out of darkness (Mark 9:23-25). In any case, “To The Stars” comes highly recommended by your friendly neighborhood reviewER.