Artist: Nachtheem
Country: The Netherlands
Label: Terratur Possessions
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2026
Comparisons were undeniable when Nachtheem released their debut EP ‘Nacht, Zij met Ons…’ in 2024. The album felt like a spiritual follow-up to ‘Venter på Stormene’ by Vemod (the one with Nidrosian Black Metal members E. Blix/Kvitrim and Åsli), and on top of that, it was released on the same home of Terratur Possessions. But while the Norwegian band took twelve years to produce the next recording, 2024’s ‘The Deepening’, Nachtheem took a more rapid pace. Releasing two splits, the band continued to share their adoration for Vemod, but simultaneously started to move into slightly different directions, adding a deeper well of influences along the way. And thus, just two years after their first EP we find ourselves with debut album ‘Waan van de Leegte’ in our hands, once again on Terratur Possessions.
I think we can conclude that ‘Waan van de Leegte’ is again one step further from ‘Venter på Stormene’. For one, the distanced production of that album and of Nachtheem’s debut EP has been traded for a warmer and more transparent sound. In addition, the Ambient elements have been rather toned down, opting for slightly more concise tracks along the way. That is not to say that it no longer drinks from the same well of inspiration, however. As on the debut EP, ‘Waan van de Leegte’ feels deeply inspired by Ulver’s ‘Bergtatt’ and Emperor’s ‘In the Nightside Eclipse’, alongside the early Burzum and Borknagar records and similar albums from that era that set the benchmark for atmospheric Black Metal.
There is still much urgency in the sound of Nachtheem, often opting for high-paced drums with entrancing melodies. Together this creates a hypnotizing canvas on which subtle keys add a yearning backdrop. When every so often the pace dies down, it paves the way to soothing strumming passages with harmonic clean vocals. The sense of melancholy is still an important element of the music, being at the forefront of for example in the title track, ‘Geen Vuur in Gods Hallen’ or ‘Het Duister Verdeeld’, yet it feels slightly subdued compared to ‘Nacht, Zij met Ons…’. Instead, a track like ‘Verdoemd door de Tijd’ has a warmer glow, as if the album is more basking in morning sunrise as opposed to the gleam of the nightsky. Although I feel the acoustic intermezzo ‘De Ontwakening’ is a little bit out of place, as a whole the record intrigues nearly throughout. And it’s the melodies in ‘Waan van de Leegte’ that instantly worm their way into your mind, riffs that make the music memorable.
Still mesmerizing, with its catchy melodies over a relentless drum pace, soothing, with the ethereal clean vocals, the result is a more floating and dreamlike album. Nachtheem shakes off the all too obvious comparisons with Vemod on their debut full-length, which is probably for the better as it would have been limiting to stay with that very specific sound. Instead, ‘Waan van de Leegte’ feels familiar yet expands the band’s atmospheric Black Metal into more of their own direction.
