Well, good old Facebook has struck again! I’m hazy on the particulars, but I clicked an interesting-looking link and found this Swedish Gothic metal band called Purple Nail - an odd name, I have to say, but a total gem! It all started out with my discovery of their first single and official music video for the song, "Bring Me Down." I liked this song right away, checked out all the band’s info online, sent an email, got a reply, and eventually, the day of their first full-length album’s release, June 13, got a promo to review. And I’ve had this CD on regular spin ever since: it’s exactly up my alley - dark, gloomy, atmospheric, and super catchy.

Hailing from Västerås, a city northwest of Stockholm, Purple Nail has previously released two EPs before this current CD, Night Lights, which includes the single "Bring Me Down", which was actually released on its own several months ago, arrived on the scene. This foursome is composed of vocalist Lady Crow, who has a softer voice with good range and an ethereal quality that lends a haunting feeling to the songs. A guy named Hellsinki plays the guitar, the bassist is Aiwaz, and percussion is handled by Voodoo. There is no keyboardist listed, but keys make up a significant portion of the band’s sound and compositions, so I’m not sure who’s responsible for that.

While overall I’d classify this album as Gothic metal, there are some simple symphonic arrangements in the background, which adds to the atmosphere. The songs are all tight, with lots of memorable choruses and hooks, and all of them are pretty radio-friendly, too, which I hope works in this band’s favour so they can get some airplay and exposure.

Lyrical themes I can make out (I wasn’t provided with a lyrics sheet) are typical Gothic-y stuff: loneliness, lust, isolation, angst, feelings of being lost and disappointed, nightmares, with a lot of the usual imagery, like gloomy, cold and gloomy weather, creepy twilights, pale skinned figures, the odd bit of blood, even a demon - and stuff like that.

What I liked about Night Lights is its overall accessibility. It’s not complicated, overproduced Gothic metal like what I’m used to listening to. I appreciated its simplicity, because sometimes less is more. The songs are all strong and well-composed, but the fact that it’s simpler Gothic metal appeals to me because there is a refreshing quality about it. Gothic metal these days is such a mish-mash of overlapping styles and genres, and this album doesn’t go there at all, which works well in its favour.

My favourite songs are the title track, "Night Lights", the single "Bring me Down," "Blood Tonight", where Lady Crow shows off her upper range, and "Until the Dawn." The bonus track, "Gone" is also quite lovely.

What I did find missing was an element we pretty much take for granted in metal, and that is a lot of guitar solos. Out of 12 tracks, there are only three songs with guitar solos, and one of them, in "Whenever" is not particularly strong. I don’t know how I feel about this. On the one hand, it’s kind of unique to not have an album full of screaming, complex guitar solos, so it kind of fits with the band’s modus operandi and overall style. Also, this creates a variation in song structure that works. But on the other hand, don’t you want to show off your guitarist’s skills? It seems that Hellsinki’s playing is kind of relegated to a riffing background role. I’m on the fence.

This is a very strong, promising release from a young band. I really enjoyed this CD and its some of the better Gothic metal I’ve come across in 2013, mainly because of the simplicity factor. Purple Nail proves that you don’t need a huge orchestra and a lot of slick, heavy production to be competitive in the Gothic metal genre. I hope they get some traction with this album and find a label, and I look forward to seeing more from them in the future.

9 / 10