The Night Eternal – Fatale [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

Sometimes we get a promo and for whatever reason, it languishes in the sump unloved and unexplored, and later on we find out we missed a real gem and feel collective shame. Other times we just don’t get the promo at all. The latter was the issue with Fatale, the sophomore outing by German goth/heavy/occult metal act The Night Eternal. This was really a shame as it’s easily one of the best metal albums of the year and features an irresistible blend of Mercyful Fate, To Die For, Unto Others, and Ghost. Had we received it, I would have lavished a massive score upon it and spent the rest of the year singing its praises to any and all who would listen. This was not to be, but fortunately, I was able to discover it on my own and give it the attention the album deserves.

If pressed to give a fast and dirty description of what the listener is in for on Fatale, I’d point to the sadly defunct Swedish act In Solitude, as the sound and style here are very similar, and opener “In Tartarus” is a top-notch rocker that recalls them quite intensely. That “Mercyful Fate as Goth rock” sound is just so hooky and engaging, and Ricardo Baum’s vocals are perfect for the style, completely sucking you into the album’s dark mood as the music rocks your socks down to the graveyard. Baum sits at the crossroads of a youthful King Diamond, To Die For’s Jarno Perätalo, and Tomi Joutsen of Amorphis, which is a helluva good place to be. And can the man ever sell a song? “Prince of Darkness” is a first-rate metal anthem that grabs you fast and refuses to let go, and “We Praise Death” is one of the best songs of the year. This one will leave track marks on your grey matter.

There are no weak moments to be found on Fatale and the album as a whole has a great flow and a collection of high-level tracks that will make you hit replay immediately. Just as I manage to escape the thrall of one cut, the next one becomes my new obsession. Getting away from this thing is like trying to extricate yourself from some eldritch tentacle monster that got into a Gorilla Glue factory, and to say this has been on steady rotation in the House ov Steel would be a ridiculous understatement. Try to spin “Run With the Wolves” just once, I dare you. Or try to give short shrift to closer “Between the Worlds” and see how that works out for you.

It’s very easy to focus on Baum’s excellent vocals, but much credit must be given to the guitar work by Rob Richter and Henry Kaseberg. They ground their playing in Goth and trad metal and frequently dot the songs with sweet hooks and slick hooks. They bring a righteous old school charm and flair to every cut, parking the sound in the 80s while somehow making olden tricks sound like fresh dogs. It’s the songwriting that truly brings Fatale home, however. These cats know how to craft a killer tune and punch it directly into your memory centers where it promptly establishes permanent residence. This is a List Killer and it will get to you. You’ve been warned.

Tracks to Check Out: “In Tartarus,” “We Praise Death,” “Between the Worlds”