In service to the inclinations of the nighttime woods-wanderer and with reverence for the presence of the forces of nature abounding Netherlands-based atmospheric black metal entity NACHTHEEM present a debut full-length album in examination of void as self-delusion. Intimately stated yet generally adrift within its droning, often hymnal folken acts ‘Waan van de Leegte‘ achieves low-stakes dramatic intensity via its five carefully writ and surprisingly contained pieces. Though their work here is well-polished beyond formative releases, and that’ll be enough spectacle for most, it may very well appear too practical and succinct for folks seeking the messier, self-indulgent edges of this particular headspace.

Nachtheem is presented as anonymous, uncounted, and this time around no real provenance is given beyond scene-setting prose. At the very least they’d been concieved prior to the very early 2024 release of a well-received (and later remastered) album-length demo (‘Nacht, zij met ons…‘). Celebrated for the sleepy, ambient suspension of their atmospheric black metal sound the band’s style compelled comparison with the dynamic of ‘Venter på stormene‘ outright wherein the forlorn search-and-drift dynamic of the first Vemod album also spoke to a foundation of Ulver and Drudkh-borne idyll. Fermented within long stretches of ambient hum and dramatic (but never quite post-black) atmospheric black metal ebb one’d want to point to ‘Borknagar‘ or the snappier oaken edge of Stilla for stylistic rooting but the pair of split releases that’d followed that demo featured quite long and softened pieces aiming for a more moderne, disaffected tone.

‘Waan van de Leegte‘ practically glows within its melancholia fronted main thread as Side A‘s three ~7 minute pieces introduce a similar, mildly sweetened approach compared to that of their demo. Though Nachtheem‘ve kicked into opener “Geen vuur in gods hallen” with moderate speed and snarl the folken, aether-dusted traipse of the piece reveals something far more accessible in its second half. The impact of the full listen ultimately centers around this dynamic wherein atmospheric/melodic black metal stretches culminate into some manner of oaken reveal. The effect is hypnotic if not predictably stated within its melodic fuming, something quite different than the Haeresis Noviomagi-type fare I’d gone in expecting.

The slower, almost sunnily trotted momentum of “Verdoemd door de Tijd” again uses simple progression for its initial build before dropping into bouts of faster post-black rush, similarly hymnal vocals, and a bounding finale within its last three minutes. If there is a potential surprise to be found here beyond Nachtheem‘s polished sound it is the simpler, almost upbeat search of their work as it evolves. For a piece centered around temporal degradation “Verdoemd door de Tijd” yet offers one of the brighter lit arcs on the full listen of ‘Waan van de Leegte‘.

If you’ll skip to the last ~2-3 minutes of any of the songs on Side A you’ll find the arrangements not only bear the same general length but have somewhat similar composition wherein a specific tonal release occurs in the final third of each. This is hardly a damning observation per the atmospheric black/post-black metal realm but it does glue them all together in mind, sapping some of their differentiation while offering decent immersive value nonetheless.

Side B is quite a bit shorter than the first half of ‘Waan van de Leegte‘ and centers around closer/title track (“Waan van de Leegte”) a largely instrumental sloughing of the senses after the dramatic neofolk awakening of “De Ontwaking” sets things up for a grand finale. The actual result is just ok, the band’s now-established modus of rushing in before easing up also applies here despite the outcome being a folken riff and a fade into humming ambiance. Though this type of song is easily approached and offers obvious enough dramatic appeal it is clear that the process of refinement has stripped away some of the nuanced exploration of prior material, especially when set next to the longform pieces found on Nachtheem‘s 2024/2025 split releases.

If viewed as a quasi-sophomore full-length ‘Waan van de Leegte‘ makes well enough sense as a direct evolution of where Nachtheem‘d began with ‘Nacht, zij met ons…‘, a somewhat unique statement beyond what’d been familiar craft to start. Considered as a debut full-length album it lacks some of the exploratory dynamism I’d gone in expecting based on the band’s ‘ready established foundation, essentially “growing up” quickly into more sophisticated, steadier voice with the songcraft still catching up here. Their evolution yet makes sense, a beauteous and relatively active atmospheric black metal record with a dark folken ebb, though I’d argue that what is left is largely propped up by the surreal “camp” of the sub-genre. A moderately high recommendation.

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