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EVIG NATT – VÅKETIMEN
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Out now via Wormholedeath Records - Norway continues to export melancholy with absolute precision, and Evig Natt’s fifth full length Vaketimen stands as one of the band’s most cohesive statements to date. Rooted in orchestral gothic doom and sharpened by black progressive metal instincts, the record favors complete atmosphere, with a stronghold on patience and restraint. The result… heavy music that breathes the way it should.
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Opening cut “Shimmer” establishes the album’s central tension with beauty constantly undermined by looming collapse. Strings swell, guitars drag like chains, and the rhythm section moves with gravity. From there, Vaketimen unfolds like a controlled descent. “Last of the Light” and the bluntly titled “Death” reinforce the band’s strength. Nothing rushes, nothing wastes space.
The dual vocal approach remains this project’s sharpest weapon. Kirsten Jørgensen delivers emotionally precise melodies that hover above the mix, while Stein Sund answers with a rough, grounded growl. The contrast avoids any kind of cliché because the performances feel restrained. When the two voices intersect, particularly on “Sorrow My World,” the emotional weight lands with complete conviction.
The Norwegian language cuts, “Når Lyset Svikte” and “Gråtaslaget,” deepen the album’s atmosphere. Meanwhile, “Eahparas” and “Tallemaja” introduce subtle folk and Sami textures that expand the palette without diluting the heaviness. Most importantly, the orchestration never suffocates the riffs, with guitars by Arne Marton Tangjerd and Ruben Osnes remaining as the structural spine.
Closing track “At the End of the Night” resolves the record with quiet authority, favoring slow emotional bleed. It confirms what Vaketimen consistently demonstrates, Evig Natt are the masters of understanding restraint.
Revolutionary doom metal? Definitely not. It’s disciplined, mature, and carefully constructed. For listeners aligned with the atmospheric lineage of Anathema, My Dying Bride, and Swallow the Sun, Vaketimen has arrived at the top of your ‘must listen’ this year.
SCORE 9/10
Words by LearnTwoExist
In collaboration with Headbangers Australia