Band:	Night In Gales
Album:	The Black Stream
Style:	Melodic death metal
Release date:	September 29, 2023
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Tears Of Blood
02. Gone Forever
03. Transition To Doom [feat. Tomasz Wisniewski]
04. Final Place
05. Laughter Of Madness
06. The Black Stream
07. The Consciousless
08. Return To Chaos
09. Carved Into Souls
10. The Eternal Fall
11. The Surface

Night In Gales have been around for 27 years now, during which time they've remained in the shadows of their Swedish counterparts; could this latest release be an indication as to why?

1995 was a time when melodic death metal was emerging as a fresh and exciting genre, with the great and newly established Gothenburg scene leading the way. This year saw two of the most appreciated releases the genre has ever offered, those of course being At The Gates's Slaughter Of The Soul and Dark Tranquillity's The Gallery; however, it also saw the formation of the melodeath band Night In Gales, who were founded not in Sweden, but in Germany. This latest offering, titled The Black Stream, represents the band's eighth full-length release to date following 2020's Dawnlight Garden, and continues with the same line-up of Christian Müller (vocals), Jens and Frank Basten (guitars), Adriano Ricci (drums), and Tobias Bruchmann (bass), along with Tomasz Wisniewski contributing guest vocals on "Transition To Doom".

The Black Stream has a running time of 45 minutes in length made up of a total of eleven tracks, all of which are once again mixed and mastered by the great Dan Swanö (just thought I'd throw that one in there for you). So, how does the album stack up against previous releases? Well, let's start with the opening song, "Tears Of Blood", which from the off doesn't really sound all that new. Beginning with a high level of ferocity, this opener goes straight into the midst of melodeath madness, as the twin guitar duo Jens and Frank Basten work their magic through heavy melodic riffing and rapid, thrashy leads. The track is driven by a fast tempo rhythm section featuring furious pounding drumming beats and rapid bass lines, and harsh-to-semi-harsh growling verses and chorus. The following track, "Gone Forever", continues in the exact same manner, with a main standout moment being a quality near-end guitar solo.

So, two tracks in, and it would seem all is well, but there's nothing I would necessarily call mind-blowing or memorable at this point. The third song, "Transition To Doom", however, is slightly more memorable. It opens with one of the album's catchiest riffs, which remains strong throughout the track, albeit growing more repetitive towards the end. The tempo is turned up even faster on this song, as listeners are met with beats that pound with extra ferocity, and faster paced intertwining melodic guitar duals. I would describe the track as something along the lines of early In Flames.

From here, things continue in the same heavy and groovy melodeath fashion, continuing to show glimpses of the Gothenburg sound. The Instrumentation, rhythm and tempo remain solid, although again bringing nothing mind-blowing. There are several striking features, though, such as a moment in which cleans are heard echoing in the background behind the growls on "Laughter Of Madness". One thing that can be said is the flow between tracks remains a key factor in the album's experience, as the ferocity never really lets up. That is, at least, until you reach the title track "The Black Stream", which I have to say is one of the few standout songs on the album. "The Black Stream" is essentially a braking point, as the band let off steam; it begins with a gentle acoustic opening, which gradually builds until furious blast-beats and heavy melodic riffs intertwining with rapid leads kick in. What's also striking about this track is how it abruptly ends, after which you hear a short passage of a gentle running stream, which I have to say is quite refreshing to hear.

From here, The Black Stream returns to the earlier ferocious approach; another standout song is "Return To Chaos", with the drumming performance, from the frenzied blast-beats to chaotic rhythmic drumming patterns, standing out most. The whole tempo is borderline thrash at times, and is ideal for the those wanting to get caught in a moshpit. The fading guitar leads are also a great way to finish the track off. The following track "Carved Into Souls" is just as memorable, with its galloping heavy melodic riffs reminding me slightly of Amon Amarth; however, the last two songs, "The Eternal Fall" and "The Surface", represent a slight drop in quality for me. It's not significant, though, as both these tracks are far from bad and still pack that heavy punch, finishing the album off as it started.

Overall, The Black Stream is a solid effort all-round; the performance from each musician is top-notch, the sound and production is delivered to a high standard of quality (thanks to Dan Swanö), and there are moments in which you'll be wondering how this band hasn't made it as big as they perhaps should have on the melodeath scene. But at the same time, this release just falls short of becoming great melodeath material. Certainly there are some memorable hooks to be found, but it left me wondering, could there perhaps have been more?