Nightmare Effigy – The Endless Abyss EP Review

Hello everyone, and welcome to my review of the new EP The Endless Abyss from Nightmare Effigy.

Last year, I had the absolute pleasure of having Arioch answer some of my questions in an interview for my webzine, where we got to find out a lot more about what goes on behind the scenes when creating new material for Nightmare Effigy.

Today, I’ll be breaking down why I enjoyed this release and highlighting some of my favourite moments on the EP.

There are four tracks on this new offering, with an overall runtime of about 20 minutes.

“Gazing Into Nothingness”

From the very first moments, I’m instantly reminded of the dark and oppressive sound that this project boasts. For me, what makes the opening track so strong is, for the most part, the sharp and very well-mixed vocals. I genuinely think the vocals on this EP are near perfect and complement the music brilliantly.

Around the three-minute mark, the tempo slows, and you’re met with a very cool six-power-chord progression riff, which then pulls you back into the mix. These super punchy guitar parts help propel the track into a more headbang-worthy direction and really enhance the overall atmosphere.

“Nocturnal Solitude”

I have to say that this track is probably my second favourite on the EP for a number of reasons. As I mentioned, the vocals stood out most on track one, but here I’d say the instrumentals take the spotlight throughout.

The opening drum beat felt very unique to me. I was a big fan of how it takes a standard 4/4 approach but, after some quick fills, lands back on the snare for two hits. This subtle addition, for me as a drummer, gave the opening moments so much character. When musicians add little touches like this where there’s room, it really shows both skill and a willingness to think outside the box.

As the track progresses, I noticed how full the guitar sounds—there’s never really a quiet moment, with lots of layered background chord progressions that are very well mixed and mastered. It creates a raw, unfiltered sound without coming across as messy, which is something many bands struggle to achieve with this style.

I also thought the mid-section blast beats were spot-on and really helped give the vocals a stronger, more aggressive presence.

“Darkness”

Although this track has the shortest runtime, I’d say it delivers one of the coolest atmospheres on the EP. The overall execution is brilliant.

Just after the halfway point, the main riffs and blast beats hit hard with a powerful chord strike that fades into nothingness. This transitions into an interesting single-note guitar interlude that builds slowly, accompanied by a spoken-style vocal passage.

I personally thought this addition was perfectly placed. It breaks up the track nicely and introduces a new layer of intrigue—“Rage, rage against the dying of the light…” and so on. After this eerie section, the guitar gradually returns from silence into a droning ambience. This moment was incredible.

“Contempt for Life”

In my opinion, “Contempt for Life” carries the most emotional weight out of the four tracks. It feels layered with depth and delivers a bittersweet tone right from the start.

One of my favourite moments comes around the three-minute mark, where the tempo shifts from fast-paced to something slower and more methodical. The guitars sound clean, and the drums aren’t overly aggressive, but still provide enough groove to keep things engaging.

Massive shout-out to the closing moments of this track—they’re a truly great way to end the EP. The spoken vocal style used in “Darkness” returns here, but with a deeper tone. It left me wondering whether this was sampled from a film or actually performed by Arioch.

Overview

Overall, I’d say this release sits on a similar tier to Hymns of Misery—and that’s high praise, because I absolutely love that record as well.

Each time I listen to new Nightmare Effigy material, I notice subtle changes and improvements, which is always great to see from an artist you follow closely.

The mixing and mastering by Alden Micklavzina definitely hit the mark and do the EP a lot of justice. I’m also glad to see Rotting Reign return for the artwork. When a band sticks with the same artist over time, their visual style becomes synonymous with the project’s identity, which really strengthens its overall presentation.

All in all, I’d give this release a solid 8.5/10.