The Night Eternal – Fatale (Review)

Germanys heavy metal saviours The Night Eternal are back with their second full length LP titled Fatale. The Essen-based five piece, still combine classical NWOBHM influence with occult rock and goth tendencies similar to Unto Others, In Solitude and Tribulation. Mastered by the renowned Arthur Rizk and co-produced by Marco Brinkmann, the successor to 2021s Moonlit Cross offers everything fans could have hoped for and more.

While the aforementioned debut LP turned a lot of heads when released, it is with Fatale that The Night Eternal will surely smash the ceiling of popularity. Kicking off things with the building and catchy lead single “In Tartarus”, frontman Ricardo Baum and the crew keep firing on all cylinders right from the get go. Dueling guitar work similar to the genres greats such as Mercyful Fate or Scorpions (“Stars Guide My Way”, “Run With The Wolves”), earworm choruses (major highlight “Prince of Darkness” or the heavy “Prometheus Unbound”) and interesting rhythm work ensure every song will undoubtly be burned into the listeners long-term brain cells. Another key factor to the songs indivual success is the way frontman Ricardo Baum delivers an ungodly amount of catchy and passionate hooklines, akin to what Danzig could do in his prime mixed with the grandeur of Pelle Ahman (Ex – In Solitude). Compared to the band’s great debut EP and LP, the Ruhrpott citizens also amped up the heaviness on tracks such as “Prometheus Unbound” which features some subtle black metal influences in containing sinister riffing, double kicks and screamed vocals. After the short acoustic interlude “The Reqiuem”, The Night Eternal close out this years Heavy Metal AOTY contender with “Between The Worlds”. The closer serves as a perfect culmination of the previous tracks with its heavy stomping groove, gothy lead melody and impassionate vocals provided by Baum.

After listening to this record quite a few times now, I can definitely say that this is the best heavy metal record I’ve heard in a very long time. The Night Eternal really knocked it out of the park with Fatale and evoke memories to when Heavy Metal made in Germany was a household name. Since every single song on here is at least a minor hit, the question for The Night Eternal is not if they will become a major act but when. Mandatory listen for every heavy metal enthusiast.