Nightfly Zatokrev are an experimental doom metal band who formed in Switzerland in 2002. Silk Spiders Underwater…. was released in May 2015 and is their fourth album and the first of two concept albums.

The eight tracks are on experimental side of doom metal and their sludge background shows through on some of the album. No doubt down to their experimental nature, the band is not content to be restrained by any genre and incorporate some death metal elements too. The music is dark and powerful with harsh vocals most of the time and not an easy listen by any stretch. Brick In The Sky stands out as somewhat different from most of the rest of the album for its clean vocals and trippy psych vibe. Discoloration follows suit with the cleaner vocals but much heavier and one of the more accessible and better cuts.

Whilst I warmed to the album, subtle melodies appear and amid the harshness there are occasional surprises like the female vocals that close They Stay In Mirrors. It’s worth persevering with as an initial impression of the album blending in as one revealed itself to have more subtle depths and hooks than I originally gave it credit for.

Not for the faint hearted then but if you like your doom/sludge on the experimental side then Silk Spiders Underwater… is worth a listen.