Happy Record Store Day! Happy
4/20! For the occasion, I’m reviewing an album from a fan-favourite band, The
Watchers. The Bay Area quartet will be unleashing their second LP (and fourth
release overall) titled Nyctophilia on
May 3rd via the mighty Ripple Music. It’s been six years—how time
flies—since their last album, the excellent Black
Abyss, and the long wait is
finally over. They were initially supposed to release it through Valley of Fire
Records back in 2022 and even put out a single, but alas, the LP never saw the
light of day until now on a different label.
The record opens up with a superb
instrumental, “Twilight”, with an acoustic guitar intro reminiscent of legendary
guitarist Randy Rhoads. It segues into “I Am the Dark”, the initial single from
the afore-mentioned 2022 tentative release. It’s easy to see (and hear) why it
was chosen; it’s catchy as all hell and an absolute highlight of the LP. “They
Have No God”, the lead and current single this time around, is another terrific
choice, a song in the same vein as its predecessor and equally great. “Garden
Tomb” and “Zodiak” form a one-two combo of atmospheric tunes with awesome
guitar work, the latter being one of my fave tracks on the record. “Haunt You
When I’m Dead” features acoustic passages and a superb guitar solo. “Fightin’
and Bleedin’” is a fitting title for the following song; it kicks ass and has
massive riffage. “Taker” is a solid song, but my least favourite of the album.
The LP closes with the title track, “Nyctophilia”, which means preference for
the night or darkness. What a cool title for this album, by the way. It’s a
head-bobbing tune with heavy riffs galore that ends the proceedings on a strong
note.
Nyctophilia is a fantastic album from
top to bottom. I believe this is The Watchers’ strongest outing yet. It’s more polished,
more melodic, and it sounds more metal than their previous efforts—much to this
listener’s delight. Whether you’ve been following the band since their landmark
Sabbath Highway EP in 2016 or have
just recently discovered them, Nyctophilia
will make you a fan or satisfy long-time followers.
Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for The Watchers: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/nyctophillia
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