FOR THE PAST two years, Nightfell have maintained a low profile in Portland, the city that spawned them. Although the band’s two records—The Living Ever Mourn and last year’s Darkness Evermore—each earned them national and even international recognition, Nightfell remains one of metal’s best-kept secrets.
Much of this mystery is due to the fact that Nightfell has been a studio project since the band’s inception—their March performances will be their first live shows ever. The band’s core members, drummer/vocalist Tim Call and guitarist/vocalist Todd Burdette, also haven’t given many interviews—zero in person. Even their press photos are distorted and dark, subtly obscuring the band members’ identities. I began wondering if Nightfell’s music is even made by humans, or by some shadowy fiends.
And yet there I found myself, sitting across the table from these two fiends at a not-so-shadowy drinking establishment in Northeast Portland. Both were friendly, though equally cagey when it came to talking about the band and their music. “It felt daunting at first,” says Call of Nightfell’s decision to finally play live. “We’re both enthusiastic, though—we want to stay true to the records.”