In 2020, Blake 'Azentrius' Judd completed a pet-project of his....a complete over haul of the guitar & bass track(s) for the 2003 sophomore Nachtmystium album, 'Demise'. Attempted once in 2011 but cancelled last minute....he decided during the pandemic days that this was the perfect time to do it.
Stripped down to basically drums and vocals the albums guitar layers were rebuilt - and played exactly as they were played in 2003 as to not 'vandalize' the record. This wasn't meant to be a re-recording, but an enhancement of the original expression.
Also added were samples that Judd had intended to use on the original version, but due to, technological and budget limitations 23 years ago, the album was released without them.
This is how the album was supposed to sound.
'Demise' was ranked the #2 "Most Important USBM Records of All Time" by TERRORIZER MAGAZINE back 10-15 years ago. This recording is the version that deserves that award!
Hear it streaming at: https://nachtmystium.band/album/3146464/complete-demise
CD features same track listing as the original, however - the Intro on the original 'Demise' by LUEDKE has been replaced with the intro the band used at their three 'farewell!' live performances in Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego, California in the summer of 2017.
SIDE NOTE FOR ANYONE READING THIS - our old drummer from this era has an amazing new band called UNAPPROACHABLE LIGHT!! Obscurum's first new music in probably between 12 and 15 years if memory serves us right today. Again - GO LISTEN TO THIS IF YOU'RE HERE - you'll dig it! https://unapproachablelight.bandcamp.com
2026 is NACHTMYSTIUM's 25th anniversary
The fact that Blake Judd survived the decade+ run with heroin / opioid addiction that nearly cost him everything (especially this band and it's core audience) is still something that those of us within the 'inner circle' don't take for granted. Most people don't come back from the place he and several other members have gone down the road of during their Nachtmystium tenures. This band truly embraced the idea of 'never stop the madness', and we definitely had no shortage of madness either.
