This is the second album from US metal band The Watchers.
Nyctophilia contains 41 minutes of song-based metallic fun. Taking elements from the classic metal, thrash, stoner, grunge, and doom styles, The Watchers ably demonstrate what they are capable of.
The Watchers seem to have discovered a secret stash of riffs that they don’t want to share with anyone else. Nyctophilia is full of the damn things, all electric energy and gripping groove. Not content with just hoarding riffs though, they also seem to want to keep all of the choicest song structures, and choruses too.
Nyctophilia definitely has an interesting sound as well, in some ways. The styles mentioned above are all mixed together to make something that is both familiar and new. Yes, you’ve heard this sort of thing many times before, and it’s easy to name several stylistic reference points if one were so inclined, but ultimately The Watchers do this sort of stuff well enough that it doesn’t matter. The band blend their influences together in a compelling way that just makes you want to have fun and rock out.
With an energetic delivery, plenty of hooks, well-performed vocals, and a decent sound that lends the band an air of something that spans the old-school and the new, Nyctophilia is a quality record for fans of the style.
Wonderbox Metal 