Night Crowned - Tales
The ancient spirits of Gothenburg have once again delivered a shock of pure energy into metal’s darkened realm in the form of Night Crowned's latest opus, Tales. Released on Nov. 10 via Noble Demon, Tales bridges the city’s past and future with a chest-pounding siege of blackened death across eight blistering tracks.
Back in the swirling haze of the '90s, Gothenburg stood as the birthplace and bloody battleground of an exhilarating metal movement that changed the face of heavy music. Iconic. Groundbreaking. Rebellious. Channeling that potent spiritual force, Night Crowned - boasting former and current members of Dark Funeral, Nightrage and Cipher System – reinvigorates that style, conjuring a titanic sound fueled by equal parts melody and brutality.
On the heels of their impressive debut, Impius Viam and its polished and thrilling successor, Hädanfärd, Tales tears away at the conventions of blackened death metal with singleminded aggression - a raw and unrelenting commitment to smashing through familiar boundaries and into territory only hinted at by others. Night Crowned's third campaign is far more than a reflection of their ambitions and musicianship; it's a doggedly convincing testament to Gothenburg's eternal place in metal lore.
De Namnlösa, the first single, offers a peek into the macabre inspiration that vocalist K. Romlin harnesses throughout the album. The tale of the Myling – an unbaptized child’s ghost – wraps itself around the psyche with a shrieking, horror-infused melody the spikes the adrenaline meter in dramatic proportions. And while the blending of English and Swedish lyrics gives the album a subtly enigmatic touch, its masterful production ensures this is a record that won't just be heard, but felt.
Throughout every hammering riff, blastbeat and biting lyric, Gothenburg’s heart beats louder than ever. Tales won’t appeal to casual fans or people who “listen to everything.” But for those darkly committed souls for whom extreme metal is auditory lifeblood, it will earn an immediate and enduring spot in heavy rotation.