ANDROMEDA'S HEART

Andromeda’s Heart underscores Nightshade’s thorough uniqueness. Gloriously unfettered by constraints, its influences ranged from baroque composers to neo-classical ones, and were mixed with emerging bands such as Samael, Diummu Borgir and Kovenant. The 7 tracks of the record were entirely arranged on a tiny Yamaha QY-70 midi sequencer. The record features Nightshade’s signature use of synths and rhythm guitars that mark the band’s distinctive style until today.

Produced in collaboration with the CEM music school in Monthey (Switzerland), owner Jean-Michel Cherix recorded, mixed and mastered their first demo, “Andromeda’s heart” in April 1999, using a Fostex 16-track tape recorder – this marked the band’s first first recording experience in a semi-professional setting. 

In a true DIY style, a batch of roughly 50 promotional CD-R copies of “Andromeda’s Heart” were engraved on home computers and sleeves were printed in a local photocopy service in the public library. The band submitted around half of the produced demos, unsuccessfully, by post to leading labels in the black metal scene in Germany, Norway, Germany, Sweden, to the likes of Napalm Records or emerging Nuclear Blast. More promotional CD-R’s of Andromeda’s Heart were sent to European magazines, with positive reviews in key outlets like Hard Rock Mag, Metallian, Transit Magazine, encouraging the band to persevere in its unique original distinctive style. About a dozen copies only were left for sale.