Nyx Division - Midnight Lights (2025)
By Flork
Rooted in post-punk‘s nocturnal pulse, yet unafraid to court glamour, groove, and melodic excess, Midnight Lights takes the listener into a world of intimate and expansive expression with a confidence that’s palpable—the kind that only comes when a group of musicians knows exactly what they want. And from the first notes of A Long Road, it becomes quickly evident that Nyx Division has moved beyond the promise of their Dark Star EP into a band fully aware of its own identity. Released last summer in 2025 (is it already 2026?), Midnight Lights is thick and immersive, propelled by the constant motion of tight rhythms and interlocking melodies.
Since the release of Dark Star, the Portland, Oregon group has undergone a few changes that shape this debut full-length. Adding guitarist Justin Cory to the lineup has brought a fresh perspective to the band‘s sound, altering the character of the guitar in ways that are both natural and exhilarating. Even the drummer‘s relocation to California added the challenge of long-distance collaboration, which in turn influenced the pacing and texture of the songs, giving the album a unique push-and-pull tension. Ultimately, however, it is Domino Monet‘s voice, which is ambient, luminous, and hauntingly beautiful that takes centre stage. Domino's vocals act as both guide and companion, gliding over the instrumentation and drawing the listener through each shadowed corridor of the record with quiet authority.
Stylistically, I have to note that Midnight Lights reflects a wide array of influences. There are elements of post-punk, heavy metal, shoegaze, d-beat, even tones of classic rock sprinkled and fused throughout. The band‘s eclecticism is cohesive and the energy is consistent and optimistic, despite the dark thematics of the lyrical content. Songs like Dead Man and Soldier of Love are immediate and kinetic, designed to make you move, while Black Glass is a classic post-punk composition that balances tension, mood, and melody over its six-plus minutes. It even includes a saxophone!
I also have to add that the human dimension is just as compelling as its technical skill. As I mentioned above, Domino‘s voice is a highlight, drifting through the songs with an ambient elegance that feels both intimate and commanding. But they are also at times fragile and introspective. Take, for example, tracks like Desert Rose or Blood For Sale, songs that are forceful and introspective— vocals delivery shapes the emotional core of the album. The recording process itself, reportedly executed largely in single takes over two intense days, is audible in the focus and immediacy of the performances; there‘s a sense of razor-sharp attention throughout the album. Justin‘s guitar work cuts cleanly through the mix with flashes of melodic brightness, complementing a rhythm section that is hypnotic and unyielding. Some of my favourites on Midnight Lights are Desert Rose and the album’s title track, as well as the outro ...To Nowhere, as if they saved the best for last. The title track masterfully encapsulates the album‘s tension, allure, and kinetic energy, while the brief outro provides a meditative close that leaves the listener in reflection rather than finality.
And Flork’s prognosis? Midnight Lights positions Nyx Division as more than participants in the post-punk landscape—they are architects of it. The album conveys a sense of shared experience, and this kind of energy Domino Monet describes at their live shows, where audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life come together in collective release. Midnight Lights is about moving through darkness with intention and connection, and in doing so, it establishes Nyx Division as a band that‘s emotionally resonant. This debut full-length feels alive, urgent, and necessary, the work of a group fully attuned to both their craft and the communities their music inhabits.
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