Nightfall have stood alongside Rotting Christ and Septicflesh as the pillars of Greek metal since the early ’90s. But now, Efthimis Karadimas and his Athenian band of rebels have once again returned from the shadows to unite blackened souls everywhere with Children of Eve, the darkest and most epic creation in their pantheon-level discography.
“One of the best releases of the year”, writes Metal Temple in a perfect 10/10 review of Children of Eve. “It’s sinister, morbid, darkened, aggressive, it’s a Nightfall release!”
“I think the first two things that anybody who listens to this record will say is that it’s heavy and it’s epic”, A&P Reacts says.
“I love how this album came out”, Efthimis says. “We’re excited to play these songs live. The sound is massive. The choruses are huge. And there’s a message that comes through. It’s an album about how we come through pain, how we live with pain, and how we die in pain”.
Children of Eve is out today on Season of Mist.
Order & Stream at https://orcd.co/nightfallchildrenofeve
Join Nightfall for a nite in the studio as they perform their new album’s mighty, melodic anthem “With Outlandish Desire to Disobey”.
With Children of Eve, Nightfall are ready to bless the world stage with hell-raising blackened death metal. After all, the band do hold the title as the first Greeks to not only sign an international record deal but perform at Wacken Open Air. Their new album was mixed by Jacob Hansen, who’s helped Volbeat, Amaranthe and The Black Dahlia Murder crank their metallic fury to arena levels.
This weekend, Nightfall are celebrating the arrival of their new album in front of their faithful following at the 10th annual Horns Up Festival in Trikala, Greece. Later this summer, they’ll set upon Romania for a Dark Bombastic Evening.
Rising to the rafters on the strength of a gothic melody that’s as sharply curved as an Ancient Greek blade, “With Outlandish Desire to Disobey” is bound to unite the blackened masses. Chugging riffs whip into thunderous tremolo picking as ex-Septicflesh drummer Fotis Benardo gallops on the double with stadium-shaking blast beats. “Myriads and myriads abandoned souls“, Efthimis growls with utter disdain for his overzealous rulers. “Among them, I found yours“.
“This song is about walking your own path in life”, Efthimis says. “It’s about not trusting a word that’s coming out of the mouth of our deceivers, not trusting their promises for a better tomorrow when today is yet another day of suffering. We may choose the wrong way, but it is our damn choice”.
Children of Eve was born out out of anger at overzealous rulers around the world, but the message behind Children of Eve is deeply personal. When Nightfall 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 Metal Music against Depression, a new initiative that he’ll be speaking about during his two upcoming panels at Athens Music Week.The video for “With Outlandish Desire to Disobey” was filmed at Sierra Studios in Athens, Greece by Bob Katsionis. Camera assistance provided by Alexander Haritakis.
Tracklist
1. I Hate (6:05) [WATCH]
2. The Cannibal (3:36) [WATCH]
3. Lurking (4:08)
4. Inside My Head (4:51
5. Seeking Revenge (3:47) [LISTEN]
6. For The Expelled Ones (5:07)
7. The Traders Of Anathema (3:15)
8. With Outlandish Desire To Disobey (3:25) [WATCH]
9. The Makhaira Of The Deceiver (4:21)
10. Christian Svengali (4:43)
Full runtime: 43:22
For more than three decades, Nightfall have stood alongside Rotting Christ and Septicflesh as the pioneering trinity of Greek metal. The legendary Athenian death metal band sound as vengeful as ever. But backed by monumental production and a powerful message, their eleventh studio album stands as their darkest and most epic creation yet. Children of Eve is here to unite blackened souls everywhere.
“I love how this album came out”, Nightfall’s founder Efthimis Karadimas says. “We’re excited to play these songs live. The sound is massive. The choruses are huge. And there’s a message that comes through. It’s an album about how we come through pain, how we live with pain, and how we die in pain”.
A Living Legacy of Greek Metal
Since their formation in 1991, Nightfall have remained a beacon for Greek metal. “Well, here is one of the rare, original bands”, wrote Angry Metal Guy. Like the scorching sun over their homeland, the Athenians rose from the underground alongside Rotting Christ and Septicflesh, though they were the first to sign an international record deal.
“Nightfall proves with “Children of Eve” that they’re fairly considered as one of the pioneers of the Hellenic Metal scene” says Rotting Christ frontman Sakis Tolis. “The fact that they create wonderful albums like this one make them legends that still have things to say! Congratulations for this new creation!”
Over the years, the crew around Efthimis has changed frequently. But while Nightfall did enjoy a short but successful stint with Metal Blade Records in the early 2010s, their strong bond with Holy Records during the ’90s established a deep connection between the Greek and French metal scenes. That legacy continues with the band’s current label Season of Mist.
“Nightfall deserve great credit for persistence and determination”, Blabbermouth wrote upon the eve of At Night We Prey. “For fans of face-ripping gloom, [their] sizeable catalogue remains eminently worthy of exploration”.
Monumental Production
Like their contemporaries, Nightfall weave gothic melodies into blackened death metal. Children of Eve features the most infectious collection of hooks that the band has ever created, though their disdain for the dominance of the Eastern Orthodox Church has only deepened over the years. The ongoing rise across the globe of so-called “holy wars” fueled their latest rebellion.
“Anger was the root”, Efthimis explains about the inspiration behind Children of Eve. The band’s veteran leader commands the stage with cloak and dagger, but the album’s lead single pulls no punches. “I am the son of night, notorious bastard”, he roars as an eerie choir echoes like the call of a siren. As if summoned from Olympus, former Septicflesh drummer Fotis Benardo unleashes his attack like a swarm of venomous arrows.
“Faith is a personal matter”, Efthimis continues, “but it can become a dirty business”.
To amplify their message, Nightfall enhanced the entire production of Children of Eve. Efthimis and Fotis took charge of the production with assistance from InnerWish guitarist Thimios Krikos. Meanwhile, Jacob Hansen – who worked with Volbeat, Amaranthe and The Black Dahlia Murder – handled the mixing and mastering. For the artwork, the band turned to Eliran Kantor, who’s renowned paintings have graced the covers of albums by Testament, Kreator and Helloween.
A Powerful Message
Look at the tracklist and it’s evident that “I Hate” takes aim at the consistent influence of organized religion. “The Traders of Anathema” raises its axe in honor of Judas Iscariot, featuring two blistering guitar solos from Kostas Kyriakopoulos. However, Children of Eve wouldn’t bear the mark of Nightfall without a deeper message.
“Death’s Spiritual Healing deeply influenced me”, Efthimis says. “At the time, its social message was so advanced for the genre”. While “The Cannibal” bursts with divine tremolo picking, its lyrics explore how religious structures and fanaticism can devour you. “I hold the power / to explain your screams“, Efthimis howls with chilling intensity.
During Nightfall’s most recent hiatus, Efthimis was diagnosed with depression. Now, he wears a black mask to cover half of his face, symbolizing what it’s like to live under the invisible veil of mental illness. “When you have demons in your mind, you’re not always an ideal companion”, he admits. “That stigma can lead to isolation”.
Now, Nightfall are encouraging fellow metalheads to speak up. The band have launched a new initiative called Metal Music Against Depression (MMaD), which is supported by European Alliance Against Depression in Germany. “We can talk about this. We can sing about it. We can build a community that’s based on understanding”, Efthimis says.
With Children of Eve, Nightfall return from the shadows to unite blackened souls everywhere with their darkest and most epic creation yet.
Line-up:
Efthimis Karadimas – Vocals
Kostas Kyriakopoulos – Guitars
Vasiliki Biza – Bass
Fotis Benardo – Drums
Recording Credits:
Recorded at Devasoundz Studios, Athens, Greece
Produced by Efthimis Karadimas with Fotis Benardo & Thimios Krikos
Engineered by Fotis Benardo & Thimios Krikos
Mixed & Mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, Ribe, Denmark
Production Credits:
Produced by Efthimis Karadimas & Engineered by Fotis Benardo
Mixed & Mastered in Hansen Studios, Denmark by Jacob Hansen
Cover Art:
Eliran Kantor
Art Concept:
Efthimis Karadimas
Follow Nightfall:
Official Website: http://www.nightfall.gr/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightfallband/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NIGHTFALL_band
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nightfallband/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4W0Vom1cl6o3UCq8tTfRHV
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/nightfall/1369568685
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/76457
TIDAL: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/3521048
Bandcamp: https://nightfallofficial.bandcamp.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nightfallband_gr
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