Does black metal mix with 70s-era synth sounds à la Blade Runner and Jean-Michel Jarre? That's the question Ivo Henzi (vocals & guitars; ex-Eluveitie, Cellar Darling, Forest Of Fog) and Marc Petralito (synths; Appearance Of Nothing) asked themselves during a late and misty summer night in the enforced isolation of lockdown in 2020.

The resulting proof-of-concept is the band's debut album, Absence, set for release on October 21 via Klang Machine Records. Absence is an introspective journey rising from the soul's abysses to the universe's endless expanses, where fierce and aggressive sounds meet anthemic, epic landscapes. Guitar riffs rooted in modern black metal meet analogue synthesisers and Hammond organ evoking the sound of the 70s and 80s, creating a unique and compelling take on extreme music.

Today, Nighted release a video for "Sigil", accompanied by a video produced and filmed by the band themselves in the magical landscape of the Swiss mountains. Check out the video below.

Vocalist & guitarist Ivo Henzi comments: "'Sigil' is about setting ourselves free from the crippling boundaries we create for ourselves during the course of our lives. It's about reflecting yourself in your interactions with the world - a process that can be painful."

Both album and single were recorded and mixed by Anna Murphy (Cellar Darling, Eluveitie & many more) at Lucerne's Sound Farm Studio with drums performed by session drummer Dylan Watson (Kassogtha) and mastering by Dan Suter (Coroner, Eluveitie, Krokus & many more). Nighted are signed to the newly-formed heavy music label Klang Machine Records, co-founded by drummer and artist manager Merlin Sutter, himself known from his careers with Cellar Darling and Eluveitie.

Absence will be released in digital format and is available for pre-orders via Nighted's Bandcamp, here.

Absence tracklisting:

"Aeons"
"Sigil"
"Nighted"
"Blind"
"Acronyc"
"Crimson"
"Bleed"
"Relinquish"

"Sigil" video:

Lineup:

Ivo Henzi - vocals & guitars
Marc Petralito - synth

(Photo - Manuel Vargas Lepiz)