Band:	Nightrage
Album:	The Puritan
Style:	Melodic death metal
Release date:	April 24, 2015
A review by:	Ag Fox

01. The Puritan
02. With A Blade Of A Knife
03. Desperate Vows
04. Endless Night
05. Foul Vile Life
06. Stare Into Infinity
07. Lone Lake
08. Son Of Sorrow
09. When Gold Turns To Rust
10. Fathomless
11. Kiss Of A Sycophant

TL;DR? The Puritan is a Gothenburg metal album.

Uh, yes. That really does sum it up nicely. As in, you know what to expect, which kind of shows the sad state of how this sub-genre is faring. I love melodic metal, and I love extreme metal, so extreme vocals mixed with hyper-charged heavy metal riffage should be a wet-dream for me. Except that The Puritan is not, partially because it feels it's been done many times before. Nightrage's band members are good musicians, and their fame is more or less proof of that. Heck, even when I dissect the riffs individually, they aren't too bad, but the overall package just comes across as rather banal and tired despite the energetic performance.

Of course, there are many great albums out there which are also repeating what's been done before in some way or another, but there's this little piece of dynamite called inspiration that sets off all the aural fireworks which I always crave. I'll stress once again that there's nothing wrong with the music or the musicians, but the inspiration is just lacking. Have I ever felt the urge to spin this album over other melodic death/Gothenburg/extreme power metal albums? No. Do I look forward to listening to it when it comes up on the playlist queue? No. Am I pumped up while listening to it? No. Are there any standout moments which grab me by the balls? No.

Those who have followed Nightrage's career closely may know that the star-power has dropped off significantly compared to the debut due to many line-up changes. Of course, there are plenty of previously unknown musicians capable of writing mind-blowing music, so that should not be an excuse. Each time I listen to the album, it feels like wind that can't even ruffle any feathers. So for fans hoping for a little renaissance, you may keep on hoping. Unless you're a fanatic of the band or this particular sub-genre, there are plenty of more interesting releases from 2015 to check out.