Year: 2024
Total Time: 41:35
Label: Despotz Records

The story is more or less known. After the disbanding of EXHUMATION, the first (and perhaps only) Greek band in the ’90s that embraced the melodic Death Metal sound of Sweden, Marios Iliopoulos formed NIGHTRAGE with Gus G, moved to Gothenburg, and the rest is history. A history that includes Thomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES), the renowned producer Fredrik Nordstrom, nine albums of devotion to the Swedish sound, and countless lineup changes.

And so, we arrive at album number 10, “Remains Of A Dead World.” NIGHTRAGE has always been consistent in what they do. They never strayed to explore more atmospheric paths, nor did they chase after more “Pop Metal” situations. The only change that might be attributed to them is perhaps the inevitable influence from modern Metalcore, as it was the new genre that brought Melodic Death Metal back to the forefront in some way. So, in case you’re wondering what’s up with the new album from Marios Iliopoulos’ crew, the answer is simple: One of the best melodic Death Metal albums of 2024.

This started to become evident with the three amazing singles the band released, each one better than the last. OK, someone might say they haven’t changed their sound, so what’s different about the new album compared to their previous ones? I don’t want to sound clichéd, but I think what makes “Remains Of A Dead World” so good is that it simply has better compositions. From the opening “Euphoria Within Chaos” to the crushing title track (with its CARCASS-like intro) that closes the album and blew my mind, the record is full of incredibly inspired moments.

And what is this due to? I think there are a couple of factors that contributed to this outcome. First, the arrival of K. Togas. We’re talking perhaps about the best vocalist the band has had since 2005. With a voice that combines the Swedish and American style (think something similar to R. Blythe’s vocals from LAMB OF GOD), Konstantinos brought a new air and volume to NIGHTRAGE’s sound.

Then, the songwriting duo of Iliopoulos / Söderman seems to have found the necessary chemistry to write some top quality songs. Let’s not forget that the lineup that recorded the album (except for the singer) has been the same since 2016-18!

So, “Remains Of A Dead World” consists of ten songs that mostly move at fast tempos, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of mid-tempo and groovy moments to offer variety to the overall result. Special mention should be made of G. Stamoglou’s drumming, which ensured that he alternated his style in such a way that no song sounded like another. On guitars, we encounter Marios’ characteristic melodic leads, in perfect balance with the thrashy and groovy riffs, making the album sound both melodic and fiercely aggressive and heavy.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Foti Bernando’s production has beautifully tied all the band’s elements together, highlighting the melodies while keeping the extreme element in the foreground. For those who enjoy the Swedish sound with a few touches from older (good) IN FLAMES and more modern acts like TRIVIUM (the chorus of “Persevere Through Adversity” reminded me strongly of the Americans), invest fearlessly and you won’t be disappointed. In NIGHTRAGE we trust!

Rating: 8/10
Editor: Dimitris Benetatos
Related Link: NIGHTRAGE – Official Page