As I read decibel magazine’s studio report on Nachtmystium and visionary Blake Judd claimed that Assassins was going to be a 70’s rock album with a black metal twist. This made me very skeptical, but since Instinct: Decay delved into the darkest pits of black metal I trusted Blake’s new direction. Upon my first listen to Assassins I realized that Judd could not give a more perfect description of what one was to expect. On listens to songs like “Omnivore” or “Your True Enemy” you experience pretty much pure old-school black metal, while songs like the title track and “Ghost of Grace” take that black metal façade and introduce a grooving 70’s vibe, with moments that remind us of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. The closing trilogy “Seasick I-III” delves almost completely into the psychedelic experimentation and almost completely abandons their black metal roots.

There will be a definite black-lash from the more orthodox Nachtmystium and black metal fans, since Assassins departs deep into experimentation. But it will also open an array of new crossover between true psychadelia and the black arts, a veritable “sell-out” album, but not in the bad way. Blake signed up Tony Laureano (of Nile, Dimmu Borgir fame) to rock the kits, and thought Laureano seems to have faded in his coked up age, but presents a stellar foundation for Blakes constant criss-crossing between genres. Assassins is not a black metal record per se, it is an experimental rock album with overtones of black metal influence, and if this turns you off then stay away, but if experimentation and crossover is your thing don’t miss Nachtmystium’s undoubtedly most exiting album yet.