Freak On The Inside is Night Terror’s first album from this industrial gothic band. Released on December 18, 2020, it is available on various platforms in digital format. A bass player for 33 years in metal and punk bands, Jeff Heveron, the project’s driving force, reveals, through his music, his struggles and the dark moments of his life. Between addictions and illness, we can say that the latter has not been kind to him. But through art and creation, Night Terror allows Jeff “to focus on something productive and meaningful”. Freak On The Inside is the result of this creation; an album title closely related to the strange illness that affects Jeff.
One is immediately struck by the contrast between the slightly grainy low voice and the industrial sounds that accompany it. This voice is judiciously highlighted, it constantly oscillates between singing and speaking which gives it a rather tormented play or mode of expression that completely immerses the listener in the dark universe of Night Terror.
If the first three tracks are quite similar in their atmosphere, their rhythmic variations or their few melodic elements, the fourth, “Maxxed out” initiates change by getting more instrumental and by a search for micro-variations within the piece. In “Get Out This Place”, we appreciate the nervousness that permeates the song with its jerky rhythm that breaks with the accompaniments of previous music. The sound of the voice that gives it a cavernous dimension creates a kind of sound pitch that magnifies the energy of the piece. “Beloved” is undeniably the song that offers the most contrasts between its sounds alternating between extreme softness and harshness. One is charmed by what seems to be a music box which confers it a nostalgic character.
On the other hand, “Falling Time” surprises by the asymmetry of its metrics, a pleasant surprise that offers a sensation of instability after seven tracks of irreproachable regularity. Finally, “Twenty Twenty” is also a music endowed with superb contrasts. The two moods seem to rub shoulders with each other. One is almost horrific with sounds that sound like cymbals or waterphones screeching. The other one is very soft and includes the first true melody of the album. Discreet and simple, it is the ideal conclusion of a very dark album, an airy, luminous and hopeful conclusion.
Freak On The Inside is an interesting album that lays the foundations for what could happen in the next Night Terror productions. The sound identity of the project is strong, even if it might be criticized for a lack of melodic diversity. Indeed, the melodic-rhythmic elements of the majority of the tracks, apart from the pretty theme of “Twenty Twenty”, are a little too similar, following an almost similar construction scheme. Night Terror is an artist to discover made for System Syn, Tragic Impulse or Bauhaus fans. On our part we look forward to a sequel to Freak On The Inside.
Translation: Joanne Gagnon
