Nightmarer has been one of the more interesting bands in the dissonant death metal realm, as each of their releases has taken the core approach of dense and ever-shifting instrumentation and taken it into different territory. Sometimes they went for a bit more blasting and complex rhythms, while other material slowed things down for a sludgy take that let the darker atmosphere build. Their last full-length came out twice in the same year, as the original Deformity Adrift was re-released as Deformity Adrift: Reformed which tweaked the recording significantly and added some new guest contributions. No matter how you experienced it, Nightmarer demonstrated their attention to detail and ability to give listeners plenty of substance to dig into. Three years later the band has returned with the Hell Interface EP, which once again transforms the core sound. It’s a compact listen that’s a bit more groove heavy, but there’s plenty of moments that will stick in your memory for some time to come.
Hell Interface isn’t necessarily a giant leap from what came before it, but it makes impactful tweaks that give each of the four tracks their own identity. Opener “Extinction Burst” has an extended period of haunting electronics that lead into a wall of blasting death metal, but it also incorporates some natural pauses that let the tenser atmosphere fester and expand outwards. “Shame Spiral” has notes that twist and transform in ways that feel a bit closer to Deathspell Omega, while the remaining two tracks emphasize grooves and rhythms that have hints of industrial metal’s machinelike pulse. All of this is brought into the destructive and dissonant death metal foundation, and while there are still plenty of faster passages the emphasis here seems to be on slightly slower arrangements. It’s an approach that works well for Nightmarer, as their sludgy mid-tempo side has always had a sense of tension that pulled you right in and that’s been continued on Hell Interface. The brevity works to their advantage also, as there are plenty of complexities to be uncovered but things don’t drag out for longer than they need to and each track keeps a peak level of intensity for its entirety. The title track is a whirlwind of guitar and bass work that feel like a boxer jabbing at you, with each transition impacting quickly. I do think “Extinction Burst” is the least memorable out of the four the more time I’ve spent with this EP, but that’s not a huge issue considering just how much stands out.
Valborg/Owl’s Christian Kolf contributed guest vocals to one of the songs on Deformity Adrift, and for Hell Interface he’s been fully integrated into the material. This means that Kolf trades off with John Collett regularly, and the two have different enough ranges that it’s fairly easy to pick them out on each of the songs. “Crawl of Time” is where the full scope of the vocal work shines the most, as you get the echoing yells/screams from Kolf alongside the lower growls from Collett, but then around the halfway point you’re greeted with Kolf’s somber singing that completely transforms the feel of the material. I already was a big fan of Nightmarer with just Collett, but the more dynamic performance here pushes the band into some new directions that work well and I’d love to see if explored further on a longer release.
When it comes to this type of death metal, Nightmarer has always had the songwriting chops that gave them staying power once you peeled back the dissonance and intensity of the material. Hell Interface demonstrates this once again, and while it’s a short listen the four tracks leave a lasting impact. There’s been an expansion on some of the mid-tempo, sludgy elements and the further infusion of Christian Kolf’s vocal works give things a different dynamic than before, making it clear this group continues to grow and deliver sounds that live up to their name. Hell Interface is available from Total Dissonance Worship and Wax Vessel.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg