Sabhankra – Nocturnal Elegies Review

“Nocturnal Elegies” is an album with all the power and the glory of Extreme Metal, more notably, an album full of those faster-than-the-speed-of-light drumming all extreme metallers love. It is an album that delivers all the fury Metal music is obliged to display at any time. From the beginning with opening theme “The Shadebringer” the fan is immeadiately taken to the desired intense mood Black Metal requires with the astonishing fast drumming Hardcore lended Extreme Metal. Onthe other hand, here and there the fan might feel something different about Sabhankra’s music. In the background there are some smooth keyboard ambient like effects that will get more intense along the album. The band will be using more and more effects throught the album. “The Shadebringer’s” initial moments are minimal, I mean, musicwise they are simple, but effective with that mesmerizing effect Black Metal made its own. The full of anger vocals help a lot setting the standards the band will follow.

I would like to call the attention to the art cover which, from where I’m sitting, is a great representation of the spirit of the album. I feel Sabhankra made their best to have the fans feel their passion for Black Metal values such as medieval battles into iced fields plus the themes Atmospheric Black Metal brought as well. Tracks as “Embrace the Winter,” “Dreaming of Snow,” and “Heathens Hate” cover the first. “Heal My Shattered Heart,” “Weight of Time,” and “Fading Memories” weight for the second. By the tittles, my educated guess is the band does that in order to bring out themes that embrace cold emotions. I always say Metal music is the only musical genre that uses all human emotions to write their songs especially the undesired ones.

From all Black Metal bands I have heard here, Sabhankra are the only one which was capable of introducing ethereal and minimalistic elements without losing the required Metal music power. Strummings live together with fierceful riffings, ethereal keyboard atmospheres are together with faster-than-the-speed-of-light drumming. “Nocturnal Elegies” bounces both elements in a very careful manner where all of them are treated equally. The outcome is a powerful album where delicate emotion has its place together with harder feelings. It is an album of how to manage both together. That’s the ugly beauty of Metal music.

Sabhankra “Nocturnal Elegies” will be released on February 21st via Khufu Records.

Track Listing:

1. The Shadebringer
2. Embrace the Winter
3. Facing Fears
4. Dreaming of Snow
5. Heathens Hate
6. Heal My Shattered Heart
7. Weight of Time
8. Fading Memories

Watch “The Shadebringer” official lyric video here: