Heretoir - Nightsphere (2023)

Unleashing one of the best Post-Black Metal releases of 2023, today we have Heretoir and their crushing third full-length release “Nightsphere”. Showing great promise with their earlier “Wastelands” EP, this release delivers on that promise clocking in at 42 minutes and five masterful tracks. Filled with dreamy and bleak soundscapes, this release will please any fan of the genre and the band.

Opening with the dramatic “Sanctum - Nightsphere Part I”, we get an elegant piece oozing melancholy thanks to its lush vocal arrangements (both harsh and clean) and its very crafty pace. For those looking for more typical pieces, “Twilight of the Machines” has that mid-tempo brilliance the band is known for, with blistering onslaughts mixed in between atmospheric passages. The band’s weeping lead guitars are to die for, and this release provides plenty of them.

Pacing the release we have the instrumental “Pneuma”, just before the mesmerizing “Glacierheart - Nightsphere Part II” rolls in. This nearly 12-minute track is the pinnacle of this release as it blends melancholy and aggression, with fierce riffs, pummeling drumming and some superbly dramatic atmospheric passages. Eklatanz and company are firing with all cylinders in this track, showcasing the band’s signature dreamy bleakness.

Overall, “Nightsphere” is one of those gripping releases that will immerse the listener from start to finish. Each track perfectly builds on the previous one, creating a seamless experience filled with different moods and engaging soundscapes. If you are a fan of the genre, and the band, this release is yet another outstanding addition to their storied trajectory.

Label: Northern Silence Productions

Release: October 6th, 2023

Genre: Post Black Metal

Country: Germany