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Band: Nocturne
Album title: Nocturne
Release date: 15 January 2015
Label: Unlight Productions
Tracklist:
01. Return To Chaos
02. Eleven
03. Into The Great Below
04. Udinbak
05. Nocturne
06. Ama Lilith
07. He Before Whom The Sky Shakes
08. Son Of Darkness
09. Sign Of The Dark (De Infernali cover)
I am very happy when the main staff at Terra Relicta webmagazine allows me to put my hands on promo material from the band as good as are Nocturne, our northern neighbors from Austria. Their self-titled debut album is just about to be released by the French label Unlight Productions, a division of Drakkar Productions. The band must be considered as one of the most promising black metal acts coming from Austria and I expect big things from them. Their style of music offers us a modern, melodic, atmospheric and epic black metal. For all this professionalism are responsible just two creative members of the band: vocalist Essark and drummer Tenebrus. Nocturne are not really newcommers, they were formed ten years ago, but so far have released only one demo named Nahash, out now as a remastered version on Talheim Records.
Nocturne's first album offers nine songs where strong epic impacts with varied melodic lines are supported by gloomy atmospheric keyboards and fine vocals in background. Music has many different characters, but the main thing is very dark and extremely dynamic sound of all instruments. Vocals show two different sides, one evil and the other one friendly - in short, excellent! Keyboards are definitely the biggest complement to the sound and upgrade the beauty of melodic guitar passages. The addictive atmosphere all over helps you to forget the physical world that surrounds you. The first couple of songs are very fast and similar in structure and lyrical content, which is often based on cult of nature, yet are very progressive, still in a way staying loyal to the true black metal spirit in the first half of it, which often subsequently transforms into catchy melodic epic story until the end. These songs are "Return To Chaos" and "Eleven". In the song "The Great Below", speeding blastbeats and strong guitar riffs almost takes your breath away and in a mysterious way the listener becomes definitely absorbed by it. In the songs "Udinbak" and "Nocturne" the listener can enjoy in gentle atmosphere of guitars, bass and keyboards, as well there's present a strong symphonic/gothic influence. "Ama Lilith" is again a bit faster, mostly quite simple structured, with basic rhythm guitar elements in the chorus and almost black'n'roll style, and in one moment it completely transforms back into an epic black metal assault with a breathtaking finish. Now we come to the song that is in my opinion the best one on the album, the epic masterpiece "He Before Whom The Sky Shakes", and I want you to evaluate it for yourself. Similar to this begins and continues "Son Of Darkness". Those who have a well-sharpened hearing and listening senses will surely find out that the vocals here are cleaner and more beautifuly blended into the whole composition. Finally we are left with a very famous song, "Sign Of The Dark", which is a cover of De Infernali, originally composed by Jan Nodtveidt (Dissection,The Black, Ophtalamia,...), with a special guest appearance of Dan Swano (Edge Of Sanity, Nightingale, Pan.Thy.Monium,...) on vocals!
Dear readers at the very end I can only give you an advice to buy this album, and if you are into black metal genre like me, then you will surely find a copy of this stunning debut album of Nocturne and you'll with pleasure listen to all of nine featured tracks.
Review written by: Imago Mortis
Rating: 8,5/10
Disclaimer: This is a guest review and it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the Terra Relicta staff.
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