Finland's NIGHTSIDE were originally founded in 1996, in Turku. A cult band by nearly every definition, they soon set about a stream of short-length releases over the next three years, finally culminating in their 2001 debut album, The End of Christianity. Their sound was strikingly of the times, just as their native country was beginning to assert its dominance in the underground. However, by 2003, NIGHTSIDE effectively split up and all members continued on with other bands.
Then, in 2021, NIGHTSIDE returned with a new lineup that still contained two original members, and they played a comeback gig in early 2022 at the Turku Saatanalle fest. Soon after that, some new songs were written. Of them, three new songs were performed live for the first time in early December 2022 and, a week after that, recorded as a demo to showcase what the band's all about nowadays. This manifested in Lions (Demo 2023), which PURITY THROUGH FIRE released in April of that year. Despite the "demo" appellation, Lions contained superlative quality within, not to mention sharpened, era-authentic production courtesy of KRYPTAMOK's Hex Inferi. An auspicious comeback recording as any, setting the stage for NIGHTSIDE's long-awaited second album...
Now, at LONG last is it here, bearing the make-no-mistake title of Death From the North. Picking up exactly where Lions left off - or, indeed, The End of Christianity - NIGHTSIDE'S second album shows that the fire of old burns brighter than ever. Just like that short-length predecessor, Death From the North could be a veritable throwback to the late '90s, if not for the absolutely invigorating passion presented across these 42 windswept moments. Indeed, NIGHTSIDE reap a whirlwind of mystical magisterial energy here, with grim splendor to spare: forthrightly melodic riffing rips the soul asunder, rhythms underneath surge and coil with malevolent intent, the vocals of founding frontman Serpent spit invective and acid, and the subtle-yet-overt synths of wrap majestically around the icy spires the sextet so effortlessly erect. Once again, Hex Inferi helps harness this magickal assault with sterling clarity, never sacrificing grit whilst allowing each awe-inspiring layer to breathe its fullest breaths.
