While England, Germany, Finland, Sweden, and Norway often get recognized for their thriving Heavy Metal scenes, Greece also deserves recognition. With bands like Rotting Christ and Septicflesh leading the way for Hellenes, Nightfall is also part of this old guard of leaders.
Initially formed in 1991, Nightfall was just a major pioneer on the scene with its brand of blackened metal music, with impressive offerings such as 1995’s Athenian Echoes and 1997’s Lesbian Show. Progressing with more Gothic Metal elements in the future, the band also put out memorable records such as 1999’s Diva Futura and 2004’s Lyssa-Rural Gods & Astonishing Punishments. They solidified themselves as a powerful, furious Dark Metal force, following 2013’s Cassiopeia, nearly a decade before Nightfall reemerged in 2021 with At Night We Prey.
A lull of time attributed to band founder Efthimis Karadimas’s personal struggles, regrouping with a new lineup consisting of Guitarist Kostas Kyriakopoulos, former Septicflesh Drummer Fotis Benardo, and Bassist Vasiliki Biza re-energized Nightfall. Living proof inside At Night We Prey, a lovely mix of a classic Symphonic Death and Black Metal sound, now four years later, Nightfall returns with Children of Eve.
Released on May 2, 2025, Children of Eve is the band’s second album on Season of Mist since signing with the French label in 2020. The eleventh overall album from Nightfall is also unique to At Night We Prey, with the band going for a more stripped-back sound this time. Doing so, the riffs are aggressive and entirely in your face, while the lyrics and vocals of Karadimas grab your undivided attention.
As mentioned, dealing with his internal battle, Karadimas unleashes such feelings in an empowering collection of songs that claim independence from outside forces seeking to tear us down. What some may paint as anti-religion, in truth, what Karamdimas is saying is that faith is very personal and should be respected, but not used as a weapon to control others, only to seek power.
Furthermore, the messaging here gives a voice to those feeling discarded by the world. Beyond the dogma of organized religion, mainstream society and social media influencers seem to be passing more judgment than ever before, looking to demonize any outsider. A case of self-righteousness out of control, Nightfall’s Children of Eve plead it is time to end all this, because truthfully, is it not the polar opposite of what many world religions actually teach?
Thought-provoking, the sentiment is matched with an inherent feeling of anger, but in a cathartic way. With ten songs to disperse these emotions, some standouts include the startling “I Hate,” the intense “The Cannibal,” and the dark, ominous feeling of “Inside My Head” and “The Expelled Ones.” These are just a few examples, but overall, the album is a great balance of intensity, complemented by more Gothic Metal beauty, as heard on “With Outlandish Desire To Obey.”
When it is all said and done, Nightfall seems as strong as ever. Successfully releasing consecutive albums between 2021 and now with this high level of quality and passion shows that even in darkness, there is light to be found. That is why Cryptic Rock gives the exceptional Children of Eve 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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