Night - High Tides - Distant Skies - guest review
Night - High Tides - Distant Skies - guest review
Band
Night Release date
September 11, 2020 Tracklist
01. Shadow Gold02. Burning Sky
03. Crimson Past
04. Galling In The Black
05. Running Away
06. Here On My Own
07. Lost In A Dream
08. Give Me To The Night
09. Under The Moonlight Sky
Guest review by
tominator September 27, 2020
I'll begin with some of the positive aspects of this album. First of all, the lyrics are overall pretty solid; nothing mind-blowing, but consistent throughout the whole record. The production is another big plus point. Just like with the previous album, they've managed to bring a raw and classic feel to it. It's modern, but clearly inspired by releases from the '70s and '80s. Guitars have grit to them, bass and vocals have the necessary clarity in the mix, and the drums have punch to them.
High Tides - Distant Skies starts off really strong and manages to pull you in right from the start. The opening track opens with some groovy drum work and a whirlwind of guitar riffs - really good stuff! And the next couple of songs are also pretty strong. Around the halfway point, however, this album seems to run out of steam a bit. I feel like the songs on the second half of this record (apart from "Under The Moonlight") just aren't as memorable as the ones on the first half. At this point you also start to hear more and more Ghost influences; "Lost In A Dream" in particular gives off major Ghost vibes. As a result, songs like these feel a bit less unique and lose a bit of that Night magic.
Now, I want to stress that the second half of this record isn't necessarily bad or anything; it just feels like the band was set to autopilot. It's perfectly enjoyable, but it doesn't stick as much. Also, while I feel like the music itself is really well-performed throughout the whole album, I did find the vocals to be inconsistent from time to time. Not from a technical point, but on certain tracks they simply lack some energy and intensity - at least, the intensity I've come to expect from them with their previous album.
To conclude:
High Tides - Distant Skies definitely has its moments, and this is an enjoyable listen for people who like late-'70s and early-'80s heavy metal. Unfortunately, it isn't as consistent as Night's previous album, and as a result I'm afraid it will always (for me at least) live in the shadow of its predecessor. Basically, what I'm trying to say is go give Raft Of The World a listen. It's really good.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 7 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by tominator | September 27, 2020
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments:
7
Visited by
40 users
 Posts: 8252 |
Posts: 8252
I haven't listened to the debut but I enjoyed this one. I agree with the Ghost vibes but, given the fact that Ghost did not exactly invent the wheel themselves since they have also been I completely agree with your comments on the vocals, they are indeed inconsistent. I am off to listen to their debut now.
Loading...
|
|
Posts: 5643  |
Posts: 5643
Ghost vibes?  I hear Thin Lizzy and Blue Oyster Cult. @ Nick - I do hear a bit of Owner of a Lonely Heart in Lost in a Dream now that you mention it. 
---- I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
Loading...
|
 Posts: 1101 |
Posts: 1101 Written by nikarg on 27.09.2020 at 11:06 That's a fair point you mention there. Ghost didn't really invent anything particularly new, I agree with that. I guess the reason why they came first to mind, is their prominence the last couple of years. Usually I'm a bit more lenient when it comes down to having similar vibes with other bands. But like I said in the review, I didn't really get that feeling with their previous record though. That felt more fresh and unique. Now, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of that album has a bunch of influences as well. But at least to me they weren't as obvious as they were in this one. And omg! How didn't I notice the similarities with "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"! Granted it's a long time since I listened to some of Yes' stuff but that was actually the first song I ever heard from them due to it being one of the GTA Vice City songs. It should have rung a bell.
Loading...
|
| Posts: 1101 |
Posts: 1101 Written by John_Doe on 27.09.2020 at 13:31 Yeah, I can't help it. I just hear some Ghost in there. A lot of it (for me) is due to the vocal delivery at times.
Loading...
|
| Posts: 8252 |
Posts: 8252 Written by tominator on 27.09.2020 at 23:09 I listened to Raft Of The World yesterday and you are right; it is a better album and I felt it had more personality. You are right when you say that on High Tides - Distant Skies Ghost may come to mind first because they are so popular and prominent. The truth is though, as John DoE said above, that there is some Thin Lizzy in here and A LOT, like really A LOT, of Blue Öyster Cult.
Loading...
|
| Posts: 1101 |
Posts: 1101 Written by nikarg on 28.09.2020 at 09:24 I never really listened to Thin Lizzy or Blue Öyster Cult a lot, hence why those influences were not as obvious to me. But I totally believe you guys when you say those influences are really prominent.
Loading...
|
 Posts: 9624 |
Posts: 9624
This was cool.
---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all?
Loading...
|
Hits total: 1774 | This month: 8