Artwork by: Subhuman Being (Luisa Agudelo)

Style: Black Metal, Deathrock, Gothic Rock, Darkwave (Harsh Vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Tribulation, Emperor, Blackbraid
Country: United States
Release date: 6 February 2026

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The one-man band has long persisted as a matter of fascination for me. At the zenith exists a microcosmic slice of what a person can achieve when given over to grit, determination, and dizzying levels of creative application. The nadir, however, represents us at our most hubristic and delusional, thinking we may tackle giants when the reality is we can hardly lift the sword. Yet even in the most disastrous attempts I find it admirable that one could work up the courage to try at all. I’m a fan of big swings and auteur visions from a conceptual foundation, if not always the end results—there’s something about that level of unfiltered creativity that attracts me, like a vampire’s glamor. Speaking of…

Night of the Vampire is the one-man show of Astral Shadow, promising to guide the bravest listeners through “the untamed worlds of Black Metal and Darkwave,” with the usual threats of musically-induced madness tacked on for added flavor. Barring a three-track EP in 2022, debut The Enchanting Winds of the Dreamweaving Masquerade serves as the truest taste of the project’s scope: a subterranean blend of clarion synths and toothy black ‘n’ roll whose brilliant yellow cover, mouthy album title, and vamp aesthetics all conspired to catch my attention. But does this fledgling Count have the chutzpah, dare I say, the sparkle, to keep me under his enchantment, or is orchestrating this masquerade far beyond his station?

Here at Castle Shadow, there’s no time for aesthetically vapid introductions: this Count understands that soon as the night may come for us, the night taketh its leave just as quickly. “Children of the Immortal Blood” jumps onto the ballroom floor with an energetic flourish, brilliant, glittering synths accenting the rock ‘n’ roll riffing and busy kitwork. Shadow even puts on the 80s heavy metal glamor with a bright guitar line that slices through the trem-riffing like the moon over the darkened Carpathians. Driving guitarwork litters the album, such as on “Chasing Shadows in an Ocean of Time,” and the solo in “Mother Moon of the Astral Dawn”, but the beating heart powering this masquerade is the synths. They are the eyes at the end of the shrouded hall, the curled finger beckoning you across the rich Tunisian carpeting as candlelight glints across black-laquered nails and pearly fangs. Omnipresent but never oppressive, Shadow’s synthwork provides clarity in these moorlands of metal, carving out grooving pathways through the thickets of musical heather and mist, tinted in an 80s charm that is at once gaudy and glorious alike. Whether the swirling enunciations of “Beyond the Howls of the Celestial Wolves” or the spikes prodding along the dancey rhythm of “Sacrificed to the Night,” the synths make themselves indispensable when it comes to the album’s enchantments.

That’s not to say the rest of the instruments across The Enchanting Winds of the Dreamweaving Masquerade rest on their laurels. Though the bulk of the guitarwork exists in a foundational capacity, lending the album its black metal tag by way of a mid-paced buzz underpinning most of the tracks, Shadow finds appropriate places to shift the stringwork into a higher gear. The aforementioned riff pulling across the back half of “Children of the Immortal Blood,” the heavy metal lurch of “Chasing Shadows in an Ocean of Time,” and the solo on “Mother Moon of the Astral Dawn,” for example. Even the bass finds time to bust a move, burrowing up from the earth to lend some heft to “Chasing Shadows…” and a deliciously The Cure-esque groove to “The Enchanting Winds of the Dreamweaving Masquerade” that feels indispensable to the album’s sonic identity. And the drums bring enough tuck and roll to keep the party swinging when the night starts to drag. While nothing musically across the album will necessarily blow anyone away, Shadow provides solid performances across the instrumental board, and his harsh vocals are a perfect fit for this chthonian hodgepodge—raspy, ghoulish, and confident. His cleans are the weakest element, gloomy bellows that, while decently placed in the compositions, sound just starved enough for range and application that one could make the argument for their removal.¹

If Night of the Vampire have any crooked teeth marring their countenance, they can be found in the project’s mission statement: that is, to deliver a maddening meld of black metal and darkwave. Outside of “The Cosmic Darkness Calls Me Home,” there is nothing particularly darkwave about The Enchanting Winds of the Dreamweaving Masquerade, and utilizing synths is hardly a novel twist on black metal, either. I highly doubt this revelation will be a dealbreaker for many, but for those who were perhaps hinging on some unique collaboration of elements, let this stand as a warning. What Night of the Vampire have done is put together an entertaining and atmospheric platter of synth-driven black ‘n’ roll that thrums with all the charm of a Hammer horror film and the velveteen heart of 80s Goth rock. So even though the guest count didn’t turn out as expected and the menu was limited, I still had a ball at this masquerade.

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Recommended tracks: Children of the Immortal Night, Sacrificed to the Night, The Enchanting Winds of the Dreamweaving Masquerade, Mother Moon of the Astral Dawn
You may also like: One of Nine, Yellow Eyes, Old Nick, Abysmal Grief, Turpitude
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Instagram

Label: Profound Lore Records

Night of the Vampire is:
– Astral Shadow (everything)

1. The fact they only appear on two tracks would seem to strengthen this point. ↩︎