The World We Left Behind

Chicago-based black metal entity Nachtmystium, more or less the work of its founder and sole constant member, Blake Judd, created some of the more important statements in black metal to come out of the United States as its sound developed throughout the 2000s. Starting out as traditionally modeled raw and tumultuous black metal in the style of Norwegian BM legends like Darkthrone and Mayhem, the band slowly grew more experimental, conceptually daring, and musically challenging with unconventional dips into prog, electronic ambience, and other unlikely forms of musical brutality on albums like 2006's Instinct: Decay. Eighth studio album The World We Left Behind came after a difficult stretch of years for Judd, who struggled with drug abuse as well as imprisonment for theft, not to mention numerous complaints from fans who claimed he took money for Nachtmystium merchandise and flagrantly failed to deliver the goods. These struggles are echoed in the album's tormented lyrics and a move away from more punishing black metal fury into a more mainstream metal sound on many of the tracks. ~ Fred Thomas