Having made a solid impression with a string of releases that toed the line of EP and demo, it’s nice to see Poltergeist make the jump to a proper full-length format with Nachtmusik. As with their previous outings, the Calgary group’s style remains focused on a heavy sort of post punk with helpings of classic metal and shoegaze. The atmosphere is as coldly ethereal as ever but comes with a more driving thrust.
The presentation majorly benefits from some expanded resources with a much fuller production job and more muscular musicianship courtesy of a complete roster. As much as the drum machine had its charms, the inclusion of Spell drummer Al Lester is great for providing more weight and less rigidity. The vocals also show some extra conviction, still largely occupying a lower range but with the sort of throaty heft that won’t dissuade comparisons to Unto Others. Fortunately, the band manages to get that gothic balance in tact with the bass still standing equal to the rhythm guitar chugs and the synths providing as much as chilling flourish as the crystalline leads.
An emphasis on upbeat breezy songwriting helps maintain that synergy while also improving the pace seen on their past outings. A few of those old songs even pop up here with “Cold In September” and “Yesterday Fades” making for some particularly enjoyable highlights. “Ethereal Nightmare” is another standout courtesy of its grungy bass lines while “Children of the Dark” and “Walking Alone” play up the accessible routes between an affirmative anthem and more mid-tempo danceable grooves. It’s also nice to see the opening “Einfürung” and the title track put in some brief synth showcases with the latter playing like a mournful mix of John Carpenter and Savatage.
Overall, Nachtmusik is a strong display of Poltergeist’s metallic post punk. As somebody who’s had the group on my radar for a while, it’s great to see their approach be fully realized though unacquainted listeners will be able to hop on no problem. Their approach to the fusion maintains a unique identity yet it’s also easy to imagine that anybody who was let down by the last Unto Others album could consider this a more satisfying alternative. It’ll be interesting to see how much farther they’ll go from here.
