Nocturnus A.D.: Paradox (2019)

Taking a cue from Entombed, whose members re-formed after several years' hiatus under the same moniker plus "A.D." at the end, Nocturnus has returned with their first album since 1999.  Due to legal issues with ownership of the name "Nocturnus" several original members (who were not on Nocturnus's last album) have re-formed, adding "A.D." to the end of the name to distance themselves from the original band.  Sounds complicated, but essentially this is Nocturnus.  The sound is generally the same and this is a sequel to the concept album found on the Nocturnus The Key.  And I could not be happier about it.

Nocturnus is a highly-underrated band from the Florida death metal scene and The Key is quite possibly my favorite album from the entire scene.  It was just so different from anything else out there, combining Morbid Angel-style riffs and leads (Browning was Morbid Angel's original singer and drummer) with lots of keyboards and a science fiction theme, Nocturnus stood out among all of the death and brutality in the scene.  The Key told the story of a cyborg sent back in time to assassinate Jesus, thus preventing Christianity and beginning a new empire.  Sure it borrows from Terminator, but it was different than what the other death metal bands were doing.

Paradox tells the story of Dr. Magus who, ravaged by disease, creates a bio-suit in order to survive.  The music is a return to form of The Key.  It features tons of riffs, leads and solos and keyboard lines that sound like the soundtrack to a bad sci-fi b-movie.  It really does sound like a continuation of the band's debut album, almost like the last 20 years never happened.  Browning's voice has weathered a little bit and he delivers most of the lyrics in more of a harsh grunt, but otherwise it sounds as if absolutely nothing has changed.  Sure it's ridiculous and cheesy, but it is so damn much fun.  And that is something that is often missing in today's death metal.

This is a return to the form of a band who created one of my absolute favorite death metal albums, even though it is technically a different band.  I am thrilled to death that Nocturnus A.D. has managed to recapture that magic.  This is an Album of the Year contender.  It is that good.

Mailday 2/13

Three more for the collection.

ABSU: BARATHRUM: V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (1993)
No, I have no idea what that title means.  Absu is one of the most highly-regarded American black metal bands, but they are a band that for some reason, I just have not checked out all that much.  Previously, I only had their 2009 self-titled album on vinyl, and I love that album so it is a big mystery why I have never checked anything else out.  This album is quite a bit different from that release as the band is more of a death metal band here.  The Celtic Frost influence is pretty clear, especially in some of the experimentation that the band uses which calls to mind Into the Pandemonium.  Despite the much different sound, this is a terrific release, and maybe it is finally time to delve more into Absu's discography.

DECEASED...: THE 13 FRIGHTENED SOULS (1993) 
On the other hand, this is a band that I am very familiar with, even if I have not heard quite everything the band has done.  I generally have heard all of their full-length releases, but the band releases lots of other stuff in between albums, and that is where I am still filling in some gaps.  This is an EP released shortly after they released their first full-length album and features four new songs and a cover of Voivod's eponymous song.  All of the songs are terrific, as is to be expected with Deceased.  This is absolutely one of the most underrated metal bands of all time.  Everything they have done is absolutely killer and this EP is no exception.  It is nice to find something rare like this for my collection.

NOCTURNUS: THRESHOLDS (1992)
Over the last six months or so, I have been really digging into my old cassettes and listening to that stuff over and over again, while adding to that particular part of my collection.  I previously had Nocturnus's The Key, and while I enjoyed it, it did not make a huge impact on me.  That really changed recently and the album has been catapulted into one of my favorite death metal albums of all time.  So, it was time to check out some of the band's other releases and this is the follow-up.  It is clear that Nocturnus was trying to catch lightning in a bottle twice as the band took the aspects that worked on The Key and ramped them up on this one.  What results is a pretty decent follow-up that just does not quite have the same charm to it.  I still really like this one, but it is not quite up to the same level.  Maybe in time it will be as The Key did not immediately have a huge impact on me either.

Dusting Off a Cassette Pt. 23: Nocturnus: The Key

This one is kind of weird. Nocturnus was an early death metal band out of the active Tampa, Florida scene which also produced Morbid Angel, Brutality, Death, and Deicide. However, Nocturnus were not as straightforward as the other bands, they were far more experimental.

The first thing that separates Nocturnus from the rest of their brethren is the fact that the band uses keyboards. They don't just use them occasionally though, their music is filled with them. They also used sound effects to a great extent. The result is death metal similar to that of Death with frequent keyboard flourishes giving the music an epic and grandiose effect. The music is over the top and a litte cheesy, but it's a lot of fun. Beyond those pioneering sound efforts, the band is for the most part a typical early death metal band. Drummer/singer (you read that correctly) Mike Browning delivers his vocal lines in a style closer to thrash metal, utilizing raspy vocals over death growls.

Another interesting aspect about the band is the fact that they are quite possibly the nerdiest band in metal, which is really saying something given the litany of bands influenced by Dungeons and Dragons (Rhapsody of Fire) and Tolkien (Battlelore), and even other bands into science fiction (Voivod). However, Nocturnus on this album cover plagues ("Andromeda Strain"), androids ("Droid Sector") and time travel ("Destroying the Manger"). The time travel one is most important because it involves going back in time to stop the birth of Jesus, very Terminator-esque. What a bunch of dorks.

Still though, the music is quite good and I am a sucker for old school death metal. This album is a good listen.