NYXEM “Behind the Veil of Light”

Self Released, 2020

Music: Progressive Metal / Synth Metal / Game Music

Website: https://www.facebook.com/nyxem93

Duration: 51:00 minutes (8 tracks)

Country: U.S.A

While it is important to follow the artists you love the most, it is also important to find new ones. This is not a compulsory thing to do, but it is always nice to have something new on the playlist. Two years back, when I was exploring the French Metal Scene, I came across a band that played a bizarre yet wise implementation of Electronic-Metal. This band is none other than the Algorithm. Fast forward to 2020, as soon as I heard there’s a new band that sounds similar to them, I looked up and started listening to their music. This is how I found Nyxem! Nyxem is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist, Jonah Hontos. Labelling his music as “Progressive Synth Metal”, Jonah started releasing music under the moniker of “Nyxem” in the year 2019. His debut album, “Decompiled” introduced his unique take on Progressive metal to the world. Following his release, he took a short break from recording. After a couple of months, he released a statement on Twitter that reassured his fans that an album is in the making!

“After a couple of months of radio silence, I’m pleased to announce that work is underway on a new album! One song done, and another in progress 🙂 More updates soon!”, he tweeted on April.

After that, Jonah kept updating his proceedings on twitter. After a year since the tweet, Jonah released his sophomore album, “Behind the Veil of Light”. Different from his debut effort, Jonah decided to focus more on the songwriting in this release. The album starts with a 6-minute track, “Ra in Thy Rising”. This track sets up the ambience for the rest of the album. As soon as the next song, “War Engine” kicks in, the album starts sounding a bit more Metal-esque. The 6-minute tracker soon concluded with a melody that will surely leave you wanting more. Following that track, the “Trees of Eternity” gives away a little bit of everything. The song even has a folk-Esque melody in the middle.

While the first-half revolved around how Jonah could utilise his proficiency in various instruments, the second half majorly focussed on the riffing, or to be specific, the “Metal” part in the “Progressive Synth Metal”. The 7-minute tracker, “Above the Abyss”, brought back the Metal Vibes. Starting with a Death-Metal-Esque guitar riffing, the drums help the synthesizer blend in with the main riff. A perfect track if you’re playing a game and would want soothing yet energetic music to get you across a particular level! The next track, “Divine Madness”, too kept the Metal vibes strong with emphasis given equally for guitar and synthesizer. When I saw the 8-minute tracker, “The Secret Flame”, I was hoping for something that sounded like a ballad. But I was greatly mistaken. A strong energetic vibe throughout the 8 minutes, “The Secret Flame” might as well be my favourite track from this album after “Divine Madness”.

Overall, this is a commendable effort from Nyxem. Considering the fact that this is his sophomore album, there is nothing much that I demand from him. I was saving this to this moment. The “Guitar” sounds that I talked about, doesn’t come from an actual guitar. Jonah uses a synthesizers run through high gain amp modelling software. This is his peak of creativity. A splendid album which truly flaunts his musicianship. Moreover, the fact that he has changed a lot ever since his debut effort shows his career progression. Hence, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him release a masterpiece for his third album! However, this album would remain the benchmark for the start of his career.

Tracklist:

1. Ra in Thy Rising
2. War Engine
3. Trees of Eternity
4. Above the Abyss
5. Divine Madness
6. Abraxas
7. The Secret Flame
8. In the Name of Baphomet

Line-up:

Jonah Hontos – Analog synths, all sequenced drums, bass, and other keyboard parts

Rate: 8.5/10