UK threesome NIGHTBLADE was formed back in 2010, and have released two full length studio albums to date. While working on their next album, the band decided to launch the EP “Crisis Has No Prejudice” in November 2014, consisting of three songs presumably to be found on their forthcoming album.
I’m not familiar with the previous productions by this band, but of they are anything like this EP then they should most likely merit a check by those who love that vintage NWoBHM sound. The songs on this EP documents a band that appears to have an intimate knowledge about this type of music, musicians I could very well imagine eating and drinking the classic and obscure UK metal releases from the first half of the 1980’s for breakfast, lunch and supper.
The mix and production has that basic sound most bands from that era had, and the galloping bass lines, circulating guitar riffs and steady, vibrant drum patterns all have that familiar atmosphere to them as well. With that subtle punky edge hovering beneath the surface somewhere that was a shared trait for many of the bands from the classic NWoBHM era. The lead vocals are not typical of the style nor the era though, lead singer Mark Crosby has a voice that I suspect will be a decisive detail for many as to whether or not they enjoy this EP. I found them charming, just as I did with the music, mix and production in general.
Opening cut Poison Woman is an uptempo affair, a tad stumbling in the verse part but balancing this with a killer chorus that gallops it’s way into the mind in a fine manner. The following Crisis Has No Prejudice is a slower paced, more majestic laden affair, a song that made me think about Black Sabbath’s classic song Headless Cross due to the dampened but majestic guitars and the subtly more Sabbath-oriented general sound. Concluding piece To No Avail is another uptempo affair, this one a stellar track as far as I’m concerned with a driving, pumping bass supplementing the guitars quite nicely and adding a further dimension of vibrancy and nerve to the proceedings.
All in all a fine production by a band that appears to take their love of NWoBHM rather seriously, but also a band that appears to have a lot of fun investigating and exploring this subset of heavy metal. If you love the bands generally sorted under the NWoBHM umbrella, Nightblade is a band that merits a check and their EP “Crisis Has No Prejudice” comes across as a good and charming starting point for doing just that.
My rating: 87/100
