NIGHTMARSH: SELF TITLED EP REVIEW
- Kirsty Shepherd
- May 31, 2025
- 3 min read
nightmarsh are a three piece progressive deathcore band from melbourne and their debut, four song EP 'ceaseless Black' released on the 28th of may. "Bringing devastatingly heavy guitars, slamming and punchy drums, with emotive and thought-provoking lyrics. All with equally technical parts. Giving a fresh intensity to complexity" - via spotify
first off the mark is "wake up." the song starts with soft guitar that slowly brings you awake. the intensity builds over time until at the 56 second mark you are pulled from your slumber with a "wake up" being screamed into your ear. the song ebbs and flows between heavy guitars, hard hitting drums and the soft instrumentals of the beginning. there is a section in the middle of this song where the instrumentals are low and there is a sound effect used as an undertone that almost makes it feel like you are listening to the music under water; it is interesting and I have never really heard anything like that before. you are pulled back into the song again with "wake up" and you are off again. "go" and you are blast beating your way into the final chapter of the song. it is very clear throughout this song that the band have great technical skills. as a first
experience from nightmarsh, I was left pleased, especially as someone who normally isn't the hugest fan of prog metal. “Who are you to hold me back, who are you to tell me I am wrong“.
next up is "reverie". while at some points of this song it feels quite disjointed with frequently changing time signatures, screeching guitars, blast beats and chaotic electronica sound effects, almost to the point of feeling like being in a push pit, it is all pulled together to ground you with the vocals. “To rise beyond the flesh, transcend the worthlessness”. during "reverie" you get to see a wider range of vocal techniques from will, with more use of his highs and a particularly lovely tunnel at the 1 minute and 35 second mark. the more times I listened the clearer the vision became. while at first I was overwhelmed, by the third listen I could properly see what the band was aiming for. the song finishes on a hard hitting drums fill, that fades away as you transition to the next song.
follow the siren call to "the water's edge". third up, and my personal favourite, you will be drawn into this track like a mythical creature is sitting in a lake, her hand outstretched, beckoning you to join her and to come home. “just take my hand And trust me to lead you, lead you to the water's edge.” there are so many points throughout this song that feel like pure magic; from the use of chimes at the very beginning to the wailing sounds in the background to the eerie yet inviting siren sound effect. from the very beginning of this track you will feel like you are slowly being pulled into danger, but unable to stop yourself from going willing, with moments of clarity and you begin to fight the pull as the music becomes heavy and erratic, only to be pulled back under the spell until finally you are in the water with no escape and you are drowning. nightmarsh are true story tellers, even after finishing writing my notes for this EP I found myself listening to this song on repeat because of how this song drew me in. "I disappear, i cannot breathe in an atmosphere of misery."
last, but not least, you will find yourself listening to "ceaseless black". if scaling riffs and punchy drums are your thing, this is the song for you. this is probably the most classically deathcore song off of the ep, with everything you would expect from a deathcore track. with vibes of 'whitechapel' and 'to the grave' it is bound to be an instant hit amongst fans. fall into the depths of the ceaseless, inescapable black. “Userper, ceaseless black, devourer”.
which song was your favourite?
For fans of: whitechapel, GOJIRA, thy art is murder, to the grave, make them suffer
8/10
