Nightfist
The Epic
Temporary Residence
Nightfist is a band of young Californians who play mathematical, dramatic and theatrical metal, somewhat akin to Dream Theatre, Redemption and Rush. The Epic is their first release, and while corny at times (song titles such as “Acidrainfuckhell” and “Arabian Gunparty”), they do a fairly decent job of sounding like a big name prog-metal band, even though their biggest show was at a YMCA (I’m quoting their press sheet).
The musicians in the band are strong, competent and seem to really enjoy what they are doing. The drummer has some pretty good chops, changing time signatures occasionally and supporting the very talented guitarists quite well. If there are any vocals on this release, I couldn’t hear them, so let’s call this an instrumental release. Sadly, whoever recorded this album felt that the keyboards should be the stars of the release. They’re really loud and annoying through the entire album, and they totally overshadow what is an awesome guitar tone. This album would rock if there were no keyboards, but there are, so it doesn’t rock. The Epic is an album with potential, stabbed right through the heart by dangerously annoying keyboards.
Temporary Residence Limited: http://www.temporaryresidence.com/
