Nyctophobia - Arid ...

Some bands are so obscure that it can take a couple of years before for an album to get noticed. This album from the one-man funeral doom UK act Nyctophobia actually was released in June of 2009 but it is only now making its way around doom-metal review sites. I think Doom Metal.Com has already beaten me to this band with a review but as far as I know, not many (if any) other sites has touched this album as yet. That is a surprise as this is pretty damn awesome for a one-man band. The man here known as Deimos plays everything on this 3 track 46 minute release. It is his second album, the first being 'The Nightmare' released in 2008 which seems even more underground and obscure. To add even more of an underground mystique to this project, the official website has nothing but a free link to a download of this album, album art and nothing else. If you are a connoisseur of the funeral-doom style, this is an album worth checking out but be warned, newbies to the art of funeral-doom might want to stay clear of this one - this is pretty extreme. This is a one-man band and it does sound like it but whatever is lacking in instrumentation and production is more than made up for with composition as these songs are challenging examples of really artistic funeral doom, drone and ambience.

Two 18 minute and one 10 minute track make up the album starting with 'Thirst.' The track opens with clean guitar and synths before droning, distorted guitar takes over with the very most minimalist drumming. Everything evolves very slowing so you have to be patient; the opening few minutes only has the odd lead guitar passage to break things up a little. Most of the track is fairly typical of the funeral doom style but with a couple of perplexing elements. There is an irritating hissing sound that fades in and out of the music, it could almost be considered a production error but I think it is there is evoke more atmosphere but for me, it is nothing but annoyance. The song though is hypnotic although rather predictable. Any experienced listener of funeral doom and drone will know where this track is going and how it is going to get there. The album also has no real vocals which gives the recording a real feeling of emptiness and despair but with the extended running times of these tracks, some vocals would have been nice to add an extra dimension to the music as it can sound a little stale at times.

Second track, 'Under the Midday Sun' is better than the first, more complex, more original and even more hypnotic. The guitar which blends repetitive riffing with droning leads sounds great when they are joined by various noise elements and pulsating loops. This is the kind of track that can really take your mind away to desert landscapes and barren cold wastelands. Like the album opener, it is a bit long with some sections being bled to death but this track is the album highlight for me. The album ends on what is the most concise piece of songwriting the album has to offer; the more aggressive 'Exhaustion.' This track has everything the other two tracks have but it seems more structured here and it is a highly captivating 10 minutes of bleakness. This album wont win any awards for being overly original or groundbreaking but if you like bands like the excellent Nortt and Torture Wheel then you should find this stimulating and you can download it for free, can't lose really.....7.5/10

Nyctophobia Official