Review by Daniel for Nehëmah - Light of a Dead Star (2002)

I was genuinely surprised by how much I loved the 2004 "Requiem Tenebrae" third album from French black metallers Nehëmah when Ben nominated it for feature release status some time ago now. It didn't do anything particularly different to the gods of the Norwegian second wave but goddamn it did it well, so much so that I've since gone on to claim it as somewhat of a minor classic these days. It's with great joy then that I report that Nehëmah's 2002 debut album offers more of the same & has knocked my socks off once again.

Nehëmah's sound sits entirely within tried & tested territory but it's very clear that they possess an impeccable pedigree in the genre. The production job on "Light of a Dead Star" is perfect for this style of music with the lo-fi wall of trebly guitars achieving that swarming, relentless assault that all good conventional black metal of this ilk tends to do. The musicianship is quite capable without ever overdoing it & this can best be seen in the drumming which is very powerful but never over-precise. I do have to mention that the album's weaker moments do tend to coincide with the periods where band leader Corven opts for those bouncier one-two beats that Ben & I both struggle with though & I feel that the release might have had the potential to score even higher if not for those distractions.

Darkthrone have clearly been the most major influence on Nehëmah, their unholy trinity in particular. Corven's vocals often sound exactly like Nocturno Culto's but you know what? I fucking miss classic Darkthrone & these style of ultra-grim, uncompromisingly evil vocals really fucking do it for me so I don't give one iota of shit if the style & tone has been lifted from one of the greats of the genre. The faster & more blasting tracks are Nehëmah's strength but they are also quite adept at slowing things down in order to explore some more atmospheric territory at times too with apparent Burzum influences popping up on occasion & the subtle use of keyboards & chanted clean vocals used to good effect.

The eight-song tracklisting is impeccable & imposing with two atmospheric ambient pieces bookmarking the black metal material. The first of these interlude-style tracks is "The Witch Burns..." which is a wonderful way to kick off a black metal record with its tone giving the strong impression of witnessing an actual burning at the stake. The proper songs are scattered with highlights too, the best of which start & end the album in the extraordinarily Darkthrone-esque title track & the ultra-dark & soul-engulfing "Misty Swamps". "In October Nightshades" & "I Will Sleep With The Drgaon" are just as striking though which should give you an indication of just how special this record is. Unfortunately, the only negative is that Nehëmah never quite manage to completely nail a five-star song with some minor flaw creeping into every one of the lengthy tracks & seeing me pulling my rating back just a touch.

"Requiem Tenebrae" may well remain the pinnacle of Nehëmah's recording career for all eternity but I have to admit that "Light of a Dead Star" gives it a serious run for its money, only just slipping behind due to its inability to completely nail an entire piece. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of completely devastating moments on this album though with some parts hitting my sweet spot so hard that I felt completely overwhelmed. "Light of a Dead Star" should be compulsory listening for all fans of straight down the line conventional black metal.

For fans of Darkthrone, Immortal & Marduk.