Nightfall Unite Blackened Masses on “Seeking Revenge”

Though they stand proudly among the unholy trinity of Greek metal, Nightfall have always separated themselves from the pack. They were the first band in the country’s history to sign an international record deal and perform at Wacken Open Air. “Well, here is one of the rare, original bands”, wrote Angry Metal Guy about one of their more astronomical concept albums.

Read the tracklist out loud and it’s clear that the message behind Children of Eve is aimed at overzealous devils. But even though the band have sharpened their attack, “Seeking Revenge” shows that Nightfall still have a flare for the dramatic. Operatic vocals climb like a fallen angel over Fotis Benardo’s coliseum-shaking drum fills and what sounds like a dark, alien strobe of light.

“I bought a Yamaha synthesizer secondhand in 2000”, says Efthimis. “What you hear at the beginning of this song is the same riff that I recorded on that synth 25 years ago”.

While their fearsome frontman does wield a cloak and dagger onstage, when “Seeking Revenge” hits the chorus, Nightfall go straight for the kill. Guitarist Kostas Kyriakopoulos down-picks chug like an army of horses. “I am the fire in your eyes“,  Efthimis growls, stoked by the smoldering bass of Vasiliki Biza and synths that don’t shimmer but pierce across the sky.

Living under the Eastern Orthodox Church over the past three decades has only deepened Nightfall’s disdain for overzealous rulers. “Anger was the root”, Efthimis says when asked what birthed Children of Eve. But while their latest rebellion was spurred by the ongoing rise of so-called “holy wars” around the globe, the album’s message is personal. When the band retreated amongst the shadows during their 2010’s hiatus, Efthimis was diagnosed with depression. He now wears a black mask that covers half of his face to show what it’s like to live under the invisible veil of mental illness.

“Mental illness can lead to self-isolation”, says Efthimis, a stigma he’s now fighting through his new initiative Metal Music against Depression. “We can talk about this. We can sing about it. We can build a community that’s based on understanding”.

To amplify the message behind their new album, Nightfall boosted the production for Children of Eve. Once again, Efthimis and drummer Fotis Benardo took charge of the production with a guiding hand from InnerWish guitarist Thimios Krikos. But the album was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen, who’s helped Volbeat, Amaranthe and The Black Dahlia Murder crank their metallic fury to arena levels. With its beastly crescendo, “Seeking Revenge” will incite the blackened masses to raise their horns when Nightfall bless the world stage with Children of Eve.

“We’re excited to play this album live”, Efthimis says. “The songs sound massive. The choruses are huge. And there’s a clear message that comes through”.

The video for “Seeking Revenge” was created by Instagoodpromotions (@instagoodpromotion).

More praise for Nightfall

“Strange stuff, good stuff, night stuff” – Angry Metal Guy

“Nightfall is still worth their weight” – Metal Injection

“…accessible and catchy in their construction without sacrificing too much brutality” – Distorted Sound

“arguably helped put Greece’s grim underground on the map” – Metal Wani