Nattradio â The Longest Night Review
By Andy-War-Hall
It doesnât seem to take long for the âwee hoursâ of the night to kick in these winter days. With them comes a very specific, almost hypnotic sadness that anyone who sleep has forsaken knows well. That tag-team of coldness and isolation brought on by the night just canât be beat sometimes. Swedish goth/doom duo Nattradio know this sensation intimately, as their new album The Longest Night was written and shaped exclusively in the latest hours of the night. Injecting their Katatonia-inspired Gothic doom with elements of ambient music and noir jazz, Nattradio crafted their sophomore record to reflect the somberness of wakeful late nights, framing its ideal listening time in those hours. But will their efforts echo the sadness of the insomniac, or will The Longest Night just make them only long for sleep that much more?
Though Nattradio donât skirt the qualifications of a metal band like Sleep Token or Ghost do, I am nonetheless reminded of more non-metal bands/artists than metal ones while listening to The Longest Night. Yes, Nattradioâs closest comparison is Katatonia, as songs like âSketches from the Darkâ and âShifting Baselineâ recall the slow, gloomy riffing of The Great Cold Distance, but The Cure seems to seep into The Longest Nightâs formula just as often. Take the electronic drumming and wacky guitar effects of âDark Streetsâ or the dreamy, heartbroken strings of âRainbirdsâ and tell me you canât picture Robert Smith listlessly crooning over them. Vocally, Martin Boman doesnât have the grit typical to metal, but rather sits in the breathy middle of David Bowie and Thom Yorke. When engaged in ambient movements, Nattradio bring out the keys for spacious, dark atmospheres of jazzed-up smoothness that recall Poe and, similarly, could slide into the Alan Wake II soundtrack. Nattradio probably wonât hit for metal purists, but listeners of a wider range of genres might find a delightfully varied affair on The Longest Night.
Nattradio lean into their witching-hour moodiness above all else on The Longest Night. Slow, pensive progressions are imbued with mellow synths and Niklas Broddâs layered guitars, while cold, bright piano chimes away on the interlude âAll for Youâ and the ten-plus-minute title track. Bomanâs high, soft delivery lends a precarious edge to The Longest Night, though his approach can feel unsuited for heavier moments and even plain off-key on âSketches from the Dark.â Further, the soft vocals paired with Nattradioâs consistent bent towards melancholy mean The Longest Night is short on big, memorable moments. Even on The Longest Nightâs most rocking tracks, âShadow Speakerâ and âAlright for Now,â the former featuring brisk double-kicks and the latter playing uber-catchy melodeath riffs that The Halo Effect would peddle, everything slows down eventually, and Bomanâs wilting voice always brings back the melancholia before too long. In short, Nattradioâs brand of doom doesnât dish out the riffs or theming meant to Fvneral Fvkk yov vp, but The Longest Night instead deals in a cozy melancholy, coldness you can settle into for a while.
Nattradioâs greatest strength on The Longest Night, however, is striking a compelling balance between busy and airy passages. Quiet verses and loud choruses are nothing new, but Nattradio always nail its execution, whether itâs moving from thumping bass to fist-pumping arena rock in âAlright for Now,â mournful piano to driving guitars on âThe Longest Night,â or minimalist ambience giving way to thunderous tremolos on âShadow Speaker.â The Longest Nightâs dynamic mix really helps this end, allowing the big emotional shifts on âNightâ and âThe Longest Nightâ the breathing room needed to make it work. Nattradio know how to pace an album, and The Longest Night runs smoothly through its whole 52-minute runtime. Though lacking in powerful, âthere it isâ moments, The Longest Night is still an engaging record due to its expert balance not in light and dark but in fullness and ethereality.
The Longest Night isnât anything to ruin your sleep schedule over, but Nattradio are a good group to turn to if you ever find yourself there already. Easy listening and sweetly sad, this is a record I found myself slightly more eager to get back to for each listen. Fans of Katatonia and anything under Gothâs sequined umbrella should consider checking this out. Nattradio knew what they were doing dropping The Longest Night at this time of year, and Iâm sure Iâll return to it on some of my own long nights this winter.
Rating: Good
DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s MP3
Label: Darkness Shall Rise Productions
Websites: nattradio.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Nattradio
Releases Worldwide: December 12th, 2025
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