Reviewed by Alex Figgis

Emerging once again from out of South Africa, Ashton Nyte returns with another project of gothic future rock anthems. For the uninitiated, Nyte, like Klay Scott of Circle Of Dust, has written, engineered, produced and played all instruments for his latest project. 'Ethereal Menace', like Nyte's past two albums, comprises of multi-layered, atmospheric soundscapes of guitar-orientated dark-wave, almost industrial arrangements. Unlike 'Risen' and 'Request', however, the music contained within 'Ethereal Menace' has a richer, more mature feel. Take, for example, "Still The Sun", where Nyte experiments with complex keyboard arrangements, underpinned by moody guitar and passages of understated piano. Accompanying the music are lyrics of equal depth and wealth, but they need time to be studied and thought over in order to reap the full benefit. Such profound musings can be found throughout 'Ethereal Menace', but the imagery within the conceptual piece "The March" is perhaps the most haunting of Nyte's latest material. Concerned with the basic theme of being in the world but not being part of it, the harrowing way in which Nyte describes the plight of Man without God is rightfully disturbing. Such lines as "Haunted by the whimper of the children/Bodies in the throat of the beast/Try as you might, I don't believe...you have the strength/You are spoken for", speaks of those who will one day face judgment without faith in Christ. 'Ethereal Menace' may well be Nyte's best work to date.

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