I don’t need to tell you all the ways that the isolation and uncertainty of the pandemic left marks on the world that, to this day, we’re still recovering from. In a lot of ways, I think most of us are still coming to grips with what we learned about ourselves and the people surrounding us, both for the better and for worse. It’s not a time I think anyone would ever look back fondly on, but I’d be lying if I said the opportunity it gave us all for a good look in the mirror wasn’t an entirely fruitless endeavor.

San Francisco’s Nite emerged right smack dab in the middle of that pandemic abyss in 2020, and for a new band trying to make it’s mark on the world of Heavy Metal in the middle of such weird times, I certainly came away hugely impressed with their debut album Darkness Silence Mirror Flame, a simultaneously catchy and raw throwback of a record that culled equally from the traditional sounds of Judas Priest and Diamond Head, as it did from the epic, blackened soul of Bathory. It was as confident and self-assured a debut as I can remember, and certainly set the stage for what was sure to be an impressive career moving forward, proven by a pretty quick step up from the smaller (but no less great) Creator-Destructor Records, to the big boys at the legendary Season of Mist for their sophomore follow-up, Voices of the Kronian Moon – an ambitious concept album that was also written during the grips of the covid pandemic. Truthfully, while I still do dig that record and at the time saw it as a step forward for the band, over time I kept finding myself going back to their debut far more often than I did Voices. Something about the more raw, potent energy of Darkness… just held a tighter grip on me.

I bring all of this up because a funny thing happened after releasing those two albums: Nite got on the road, in front of way more crowds, and started learning something about how those records translated to a live setting – started figuring out what really worked and what really didn’t in that kind of setting. And I’m delighted to say that those lessons were put to extremely good use, because the energy that seemed to maybe go a bit missing on their last record? It’s back. In a big way. Cult of the Serpent Sun, put simply, fuckin rules.

From the jump on the album’s title track, there is a noticeable sense of increased urgency and confidence that practically oozes off the opening guitar lick, and what follows is truly a standout moment of the band’s career to date. The deep, chanting “OOFs” drip with malice, and even lead man Van Labrakis, whose vocals I felt were maybe a bit too one-dimensional on their previous effort, carry more assertive tone this time around. He hasn’t exactly transformed into a vocal virtuoso here, but there’s an extra depth to his growling rasp that does a much better job of grabbing your attention and making sure you know he means business this time around. Everything just feels like there’s more bite – even the fantastic riffing and solo work, which have been the band’s strongest qualities to this point, are taken to new heights, helped by a fantastic mix that sees every individual performance by the band coming through crystal clear and with real purpose.

Follow-up “Skull” proves the band’s goal of making sure these songs will carry over beautifully into a live setting, is no joke. The tight, focused, even at times (dare I say) simple delivery makes for an incredibly fun track that’s so easy to latch on to and enjoy just for the quality of the musicianship on display alone. The chugging main riff, the brilliantly harmonized guitars of the pre-chorus, and the absolute doozy of a guitar solo here – none of them are going to blow you away with insane technicality, but each will put a devilish grin on your face as you bask in their unquestionable glory. If the opening track was a new benchmark for the band, “Skull” simply takes it up a peg and sets the tone that Nite are not fucking around here, proven AGAIN immediately on “Crow (Fear the Night),” which harkens back to their fantastic debut, but just sharpens every edge just a little bit more. And you can’t can’t help but get caught up in this sing-along chorus, making for an epic, anthemic track assured to become a fan-favorite at every gig.

But it’s not all aggression on Cult of the Serpent Sun, either. “The Mystic,” perhaps appropriately, is a haunting affair – opting instead to create a dreadful atmosphere, lead by some cleaver vocal manipulation that truly does make Labrakis sound every bit some creepy, mysterious mystic hidden away in some dripping cave. It gives me goosebumps in the best way, proving the band is still more than willing to continue expanding their sound and go in some interesting new directions. The same can be said with “Tarmut,” which blends in a little more of the band’s Heavy Metal aggression, but still delivers a diverse, layered effort that showcases the band versatility without sacrificing the band’s signature tone. Also, the bluesy, evocative solo here is just phenomenal, brimming with real emotion and heart that you can’t help but get kinda swept away with.

But at the end of the day, it’s the anthems that are the real showstoppers here. The energetic, almost upbeat dual guitar attack of the mighty-as-fuck “The Last Blade” owes as much to the likes of Thin Lizzy and Molly Hatchet as it does to the best of Judas Priest and Saxon, making for a real throwback classic that, somehow, again marks yet another high point in the band’s career (and a new personal favorite). That whole feeling of being in a sweet-as-hell wizard and dragon-painted van, blasting down the highway that I felt on the first album? It’s back in spades, and that’s even before getting into the absolute glory that is “Carry On,” packed with soaring, epic riffs and driving drums that make you want to stamp down even harder on the accelerator and throw every bit of caution to the wind. I needed these tracks in my life. I needed this album.

What I’m getting at though all of this, if you couldn’t already tell, is that Cult of the Serpent Sun is every bit the celebration of all things heavy metal promised on the band’s first album, but delivered with the kind of gusto and confidence of a band who firmly knows who they are and what they’re about, and we should all be grateful just to be here to hear it all come together. This album is an absolute triumph, and unquestionably positions Nite as one of the premiere flag wavers of the new Heavy Metal scene. Join the cult and enjoy the all the fruit that it bears.

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