Synthwave Sunday: Nightstalker, “Death Chaser”

The longer I do this whole synthwave thing the more it takes to impress me. So it goes for any new genre of music, I guess… or really anything in life. So when an email landed in my inbox promising that NightStalker offered more than just typical synthwave — through the use of heavy 7-string guitars — my interest was piqued.

For all the talk of the myriad connections between synthwave and metal, few of the top synthwave artists going today use guitars as a rhythm instrument. Many of the people behind the monikers are themselves huge metalheads, and searing, distorted guitar leads frequently make an appearance, but when it comes to actual riffing there’s not a whole lot.

And that’s exactly what NightStalker are doing on their recent release Destination Dystopia. It’s tremendously satisfying to hear chugged guitar parts alongside razor-sharp keyboards, horror-inspired sound effects and chunky synth toms, but it’s also a breath of fresh air we rarely get in a genre that’s completely based on nostalgia. Of course that’s not all there is to NightStalker — they aren’t a one-gimmick group, and some of the songs on Destination Dystopia don’t have any guitars at all — but it’s what caught my ear and got me to listen. When it comes down to it NightStalker are simply good songwriters, and that’s what matters most.

Check out the video for “Death Chaser” below, set to scenes from the 1975 Sylvester Stallone flick Death Race 2000. Stream and buy Destination Dystopia via Bandcamp, and check out NightStalker on Facebook