“Defiance” is a hammer blow wrapped in poetry, part chainsaw-death, part atmospheric lament, testifying that Nightbearer are more than just worshippers of old Swedish death—they are its sharper, angrier evolution. The album stumbles just a few times in pacing and mix, but even those stumbles are over terrains of riffs and ideas worth stumbling over.
“Sorrow Falls” thrives on contrast, swinging from violent breakdowns to brittle interludes that feel like open wounds briefly exposed. It’s raw, uneven, and imperfect, but Blossom Decay’s honesty and urgency make it an EP worth bleeding with.
“Idaho” hits like a punch to the teeth and then tends your wound with surprising nuance, mixing pulverising riffs and speed with touches of folk, personal history, and community pride. It’s relentless and unforgiving, yet those cracks in the armor make the intensity hit harder.
“Asservis par l’espoir” is a bleak and ambitious debut that balances dissonant black metal with moments of fragile melody, all carried by anguished French vocals that cut like a knife.