Pillars of Greek Metal Return with
Monumental Eleventh Album
“not afraid to touch the darkest and most sensitive themes”
– CNN Greece
Ever since they formed in the early ’90s, Nightfall have stood alongside Rotting Christ and Septicflesh as the pioneering trinity of Greek metal. Fearsome frontman Efthimis Karadimas and his band of Athenian rebels are still out for revenge on their new album, but Children of Eve is backed by the biggest hooks in their pantheon-level discography.
“One of the best releases of the year”, wrote Metal Temple in a perfect 10/10 review of Children of Eve. “It’s sinister, morbid, darkened, aggressive, it’s a Nightfall release!”
Children of Eve comes out tomorrow, Friday, May 2, but you can hear all 10 stage-shaking tracks today by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/pxcvxVZYwIg
Pre-order & Pre-save: https://orcd.co/nightfallchildrenofeve
Like their brothers-in-arms, Nightfall sculpt towering gothic melodies from blackened slabs of death metal. Children of Eve is blessed with the mightiest choruses in the band’s formidable history. Their new album was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen, who’s helped Volbeat, Amaranthe and The Black Dahlia Murder crank their metallic fury to arena levels. Lead single “I Hate” seethes with blast beats from ex-Septicflesh drummer Fotis Benardo that flow with all the fire and fury of the River Styx.
“I think the first two things that anybody who listens to this record will say is that it’s heavy and it’s epic”, A&P Reacts says.
Children of Eve will have the heshers headbanging, but it wouldn’t bear the mark of Nightfall if it didn’t possess a powerful message. Read the tracklist out loud and it’s clear that living under the Eastern Orthodox Church for the past three decades has only stoked the band’s fiery disdain for overzealous rulers. “Anger was the root”, Efthimis says when asked what birthed their new album. “Faith is a personal matter, but it can become a dirty business”. Guitarist Kostas Kyriakopoulous leads the charge on “Seeking Revenge” with riffs that pound like an army of horses.
While Nightfall’s latest rebellion was spurred by the ongoing rise around the globe of so-called “holy wars”, the message behind Children of Eve is deeply personal. When the band retreated amongst the shadows during their 2010’s hiatus, Efthimis was diagnosed with depression. He now wears a black mask that covers half of his face to show what it’s like to live under the invisible veil of mental illness.
“Mental illness can lead to self-isolation”, says Efthimis, a stigma he’s now fighting through Metal Music against Depression, a new initiative that he’ll be speaking about during his two upcoming panels at Athens Music Week. With its blood-pumping chorus, “The Cannibal” bites back at how religious dogma can eat you alive from the inside.
“I own a field / Inside your mind“, Efthimis foams at the mouth, as if driven mad by the angel on his shoulder. “That’s where the guilt / It’s rooted deep“.
“This is a manifesto of suffering and anger against the chains imposed by sacred scripture – whether real or imagined”, writes All Father Metal. “What is evil? What is good?”.
Nightfall will always hold the title as the first Greek metal band to ever play Wacken Open Air, but it’s been too long since the band took the stage by storm. Now, finally, they’re ready to bless the masses with Children of Eve. This weekend, they’re celebrating the arrival of their new album in front of their faithful following at the 10th annual Horns Up Festival in Trikala, Greece. Later this summer, they’ll set upon Romania for a Dark Bombastic Evening. The album’s grand finale, “Christian Svengali”, is bound to drive its message home with fists raised to the rafters.
“I love how this album came out”, Efthimis says. “We’re excited to play these songs live. The sound is massive. The choruses are huge. And there’s a message that comes through”.
With Children of Eve, Nightfall return from the shadows to unite blackened souls everywhere with their darkest and most epic creation yet.
More advanced praise for Children of Eve
“…the most mature and complete Nightfall album” – Metal War
“Greek musical culture permeates the album, with melancholy-laced riffs echoing the majesty of Manos Hadjiakis, particularly in “The Makhaira of the Deceiver” – Metal Kaoz
“angry, evil, powerful and epic…Children of Eve is a contender for Album of the Year” – Metal Only
“Although immersed in the digital age, Nightfall have managed to instill the work with the characteristic and fundamental warmth that has always distinguished the Greek scene” – True Metal
Tracklist:
1. I Hate (6:05) [WATCH]
2. The Cannibal (3:36) [WATCH]
3. Lurking (4:08)
4. Inside My Head (4:51
5. Seeking Revenge (3:47) [LISTEN]
6. For The Expelled Ones (5:07)
7. The Traders Of Anathema (3:15)
8. With Outlandish Desire To Disobey (3:25)
9. The Makhaira Of The Deceiver (4:21)
10. Christian Svengali (4:43)
Full runtime: 43:22
Origin: Greece
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
FFO: Rotting Christ, Septicflesh, Paradise Lost, Behemoth, Amorphis, Moonspell
For more than three decades, Nightfall have stood alongside Rotting Christ and Septicflesh as the pioneering trinity of Greek metal. The legendary Athenian death metal band sound as vengeful as ever. But backed by monumental production and a powerful message, their eleventh studio album stands as their darkest and most epic creation yet. Children of Eve is here to unite blackened souls everywhere.
“I love how this album came out”, Nightfall’s founder Efthimis Karadimas says. “We’re excited to play these songs live. The sound is massive. The choruses are huge. And there’s a message that comes through. It’s an album about how we come through pain, how we live with pain, and how we die in pain”.
A Living Legacy of Greek Metal
Since their formation in 1991, Nightfall have remained a beacon for Greek metal. “Well, here is one of the rare, original bands”, wrote Angry Metal Guy. Like the scorching sun over their homeland, the Athenians rose from the underground alongside Rotting Christ and Septicflesh, though they were the first to sign an international record deal.
“Nightfall proves with “Children of Eve” that they’re fairly considered as one of the pioneers of the Hellenic Metal scene” says Rotting Christ frontman Sakis Tolis. “The fact that they create wonderful albums like this one make them legends that still have things to say! Congratulations for this new creation!”
Over the years, the crew around Efthimis has changed frequently. But while Nightfall did enjoy a short but successful stint with Metal Blade Records in the early 2010s, their strong bond with Holy Records during the ’90s established a deep connection between the Greek and French metal scenes. That legacy continues with the band’s current label Season of Mist.
“Nightfall deserve great credit for persistence and determination”, Blabbermouth wrote upon the eve of At Night We Prey. “For fans of face-ripping gloom, [their] sizeable catalogue remains eminently worthy of exploration”.
Monumental Production
Like their contemporaries, Nightfall weave gothic melodies into blackened death metal. Children of Eve features the most infectious collection of hooks that the band has ever created, though their disdain for the dominance of the Eastern Orthodox Church has only deepened over the years. The ongoing rise across the globe of so-called “holy wars” fueled their latest rebellion.
“Anger was the root”, Efthimis explains about the inspiration behind Children of Eve. The band’s veteran leader commands the stage with cloak and dagger, but the album’s lead single pulls no punches. “I am the son of night, notorious bastard”, he roars as an eerie choir echoes like the call of a siren. As if summoned from Olympus, former Septicflesh drummer Fotis Benardo unleashes his attack like a swarm of venomous arrows.
“Faith is a personal matter”, Efthimis continues, “but it can become a dirty business”.
To amplify their message, Nightfall enhanced the entire production of Children of Eve. Efthimis and Fotis took charge of the production with assistance from InnerWish guitarist Thimios Krikos. Meanwhile, Jacob Hansen – who worked with Volbeat, Amaranthe and The Black Dahlia Murder – handled the mixing and mastering. For the artwork, the band turned to Eliran Kantor, who’s renowned paintings have graced the covers of albums by Testament, Kreator and Helloween.
A Powerful Message
Look at the tracklist and it’s evident that “I Hate” takes aim at the consistent influence of organized religion. “The Traders of Anathema” raises its axe in honor of Judas Iscariot, featuring two blistering guitar solos from Kostas Kyriakopoulos. However, Children of Eve wouldn’t bear the mark of Nightfall without a deeper message.
“Death’s Spiritual Healing deeply influenced me”, Efthimis says. “At the time, its social message was so advanced for the genre”. While “The Cannibal” bursts with divine tremolo picking, its lyrics explore how religious structures and fanaticism can devour you. “I hold the power / to explain your screams“, Efthimis howls with chilling intensity.
During Nightfall’s most recent hiatus, Efthimis was diagnosed with depression. Now, he wears a black mask to cover half of his face, symbolizing what it’s like to live under the invisible veil of mental illness. “When you have demons in your mind, you’re not always an ideal companion”, he admits. “That stigma can lead to isolation”.
Now, Nightfall are encouraging fellow metalheads to speak up. The band have launched a new initiative called Metal Music Against Depression (MMaD), which is supported by European Alliance Against Depression in Germany. “We can talk about this. We can sing about it. We can build a community that’s based on understanding”, Efthimis says.
With Children of Eve, Nightfall return from the shadows to unite blackened souls everywhere with their darkest and most epic creation yet.
Line-up:
Efthimis Karadimas – Vocals
Kostas Kyriakopoulos – Guitars
Vasiliki Biza – Bass
Fotis Benardo – Drums
Recording Credits:
Recorded at Devasoundz Studios, Athens, Greece
Produced by Efthimis Karadimas with Fotis Benardo & Thimios Krikos
Engineered by Fotis Benardo & Thimios Krikos
Mixed & Mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, Ribe, Denmark
Production Credits:
Produced by Efthimis Karadimas & Engineered by Fotis Benardo
Mixed & Mastered in Hansen Studios, Denmark by Jacob Hansen
Follow Nightfall:
Official Website: http://www.nightfall.gr/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightfallband/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NIGHTFALL_band
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nightfallband/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4W0Vom1cl6o3UCq8tTfRHV
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/nightfall/1369568685
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/76457
TIDAL: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/3521048
Bandcamp: https://nightfallofficial.bandcamp.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nightfallband_gr