A flawless dance with death – review of Nachtblut’s seventh studio album “Todschick”

Chic is dead. Well, at least this is what Nachtblut talks about in their album number 7, titled “Todschick”. The German band is back after 2020’s “Vanitas” with a full-length that shows growth and the fact that they’re a solid and tight group, now more than ever before.

Death is a recurring theme for the band, with almost half songs in the title having a reference to the eternal contrast between life and the afterlife. Although they’ve been described as “extreme gothic metal” or “dark metal”, I am quite confident in saying that we should also add the symphonic subgenre to their art, because the organs and the orchestral elements they incorporate are just sublime (like in “Von Hass Getrieben” and “Götterstille“).

The production, mixing and mastering are quite well done, but as usual, Ablaz’s bass doesn’t shine very often; that is absolutely my personal taste – it’s not a fault of the band! Askeroth’s vocals are powerful when needed and he shows a marvellous range that makes me forget everything else. Greif’s guitar is a force of nature and commands the tracks like it’s a piece of cake, while Skoll on drums hammers stronger and brighter.

It always makes me so happy when bands sing in their native language, especially when it’s German. Many people say and think that it’s a harsh language, but they’ve probably never experienced it in such a way that it was positive for them. German is a fascinating language and when spoken properly, it is the best thing ever. And boy, do they know how to do this!

Just when I thought that the album was going to be only great, “Stirb Langsam” and “Schneller Als Der Tod” came and made it a fantastic album. Introducing folk element? That’s a yes from me! Nachtblut have done things extraordinarily this time, so when February 21st comes, you better buy or stream the album. The band has really upped the ante this time, and they deserve all the praise they can get.

Tracklist:

1. Von Hass Getrieben
2. Todschick
3. Nachtgeweiht
4. Das Leben der Anderen
5. Manchmal Kommen Sie Wieder
6. Mein Ist Die Hölle
7. Götterstille
8. Kinder Des Zorns
9. Stirb Langsam
10. Schneller Als Der Tod