Review Summary: Caught in a Spell
The Night Eternal’s brand of gothic-heavy metal has often reminded me of In Solitude before, but their third full-length seems to coincide more with what Spell has been doing lately. Having a song literally called “Caught In A Spell” is enough to really make the comparison feel blatant, even if it’s likely just a coincidence. Fortunately, the song itself manages to be pretty damn effective with a moody intro that gives way to a percussive shuffle and a chorus that’s as catchy as it is forlorn.
That propensity for more accessible hooks is eager to make itself known throughout the rest of Cold Velvet. “Eurydice (Don’t Look Back)” applies the driving template set by the opening “Where This World Ends” to bright guitar work and a determined call-and-response hook and “The Veins Of Time” plays up echoed croons alongside that speed. “The Watcher Of The Burning Veil” and “Shape Of Sorrow” provide darker hints as the former sneaks a classic Maiden undercurrent beneath its urgent bursts while the latter plays like a heavier version of something that could’ve come from Paradise Lost’s One Second.
Even with the accommodations at play, it helps that the band still sounds like itself. The baritone vocals lend themselves well to the catchy lines and flex between swagger and foppish camp to fun effect. The production also gives the instrumentation that extra push as the guitars add hints of hazy gloss and the drums are propulsive without getting too abrasive.
While The Night Eternal’s previous albums won me over in more subtle fashion, there’s an immediate appeal to Cold Velvet that I quite appreciate. The band’s already tight musicianship thrives in a more direct soundscape and the songs are among the strongest they’ve put out so far. I may be drawing parallels to other groups going through similar trajectories, but The Night Eternal remains among the most identifiable and consistent.
