FINDING FAULT WITH NACHTMYSTIUM

There’s been some backlash in our comments sections with regards to Nachtmystium’s live show. And though it pains me to say it because I love this band to death — Assassins was near the top of my “best of” 2008 list and Addicts will no doubt be near the top of my list for 2010 — it’s kind of warranted.

At the band’s opening set for Eyehategod in Brooklyn earlier this month I couldn’t take my eyes off of drummer Charlie Fell, not because of his awesome skills as a time-keeper or his blazing fast hands (both admirable qualities he possesses), but because he kept rushing his fills. Every time the moment for a fill would approach my eyes would be drawn to him in anticipation; would he rush this one and come down on the “1” beat before the rest of the band? Yes, he would, almost every single time. It was really distracting and took away from my overall enjoyment of the show, and definitely leaves something to be desired by Fell for his otherwise adequate skills as a solid metal drummer. It’s too bad, too, because aside from this one flaw the band fucking killed at that show.

Frankly I’m surprised that Blake Judd, notorious for blowing through members like Dante’s girlfriend in Clerks blows dicks on the way through the parking lot, stands for this. I also can’t believe no one’s called the band out on this yet; it can’t just be me who’s noticed. Do people love this band so dearly that they don’t want to admit there’s a fault? Do people just not care? Does Blake like sloppy play out of his drummers? Am I going nuts? Was there just a terrible monitor mix that night at Europa?

Check out Nachtmystium playing “Life of Fire” and “High on Hate” from the very same show on Metal Injection, to see a whole bunch more rushed drum fills.

-VN