Artist: Noctuary
Label: Lost Disciple Records
Rating: 4 Skulls
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Title: When Fires Breed Blood Artist: Noctuary Label: Lost Disciple Records
Rating: 4 Skulls |
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Submitted by Paul Jacob Brown (11/12/00):
This comes from my mouth rather late in the game, but better late than never. I want to tell you all about a band who shouldn't be ignored called Noctuary. This band is a black metal outfit from California in the tradition of old school Venom. (Welcome To Hell, Black Metal) They're signed to a homegrown Massachusetts metal label named Lost Disciple, and about two years ago released a sleeper of a black metal album entitled For Salvation. Noctuary are currently getting ready to release their sophomore effort When Fire Breeds Blood very shortly, and I'm fiending something fierce for that next record.(Yeah, I still refer to them as records! What about it?) But before it hits the streets, let's look at the past for now...I was listening to a Necropolis compilation CD almost two years ago when the tenth track came on and I heard this low budget produced rumbling of drums and guitars that somehow, through its stoneage sounding quality, captivated my ears and got my adrenaline pumping. Turns out it was Noctuary's "For Salvation", the title track from the album of the same name. It took a little hunting, but I eventually found it at the Harvard Sq. Newbury Comics.(Note to review readers: STAY AWAY FROM THERE!!! IT'S MY TERRITORY!) I enjoyed its primitive mode of sound but also the guitars by Joe Van Fossen were very sharp and melodic all throughout the album. I mean damn good chops! One example would be the outro to "Eternal Nightmare", where the riffing and machine gun drums give way to a soft solo acoustic guitar part not unlike Tony Iommi's vintage Sabbath instrumentals.
Noctuary is still in the early stages of their musical direction, but as crazy as I might sound to make such an audacious claim, I believe they have a lot of talent to become wider in scope with time permitting. Think about how Emperor sounded in the beginning (And I'll also say this: Noctuary as they are NOW buries the vintage Emperor material! Yes I know, they look nice, they're made of BRASS...) leading up to IX Equilibrium. That's how I perceive Noctuary's latent potential.
And though I write this review some two years after the fact, I feel it's only right to expose Noctuary to you all. Not only that but on the strength of the one element that keeps the heavy metal scene alive and well: Word of mouth. Due to the production quality, it may be an acquired taste to some of you, but if you're a regular black metaller or can easily look past the mix and appreciate the music, then I strongly urge you to hunt this sucker down. If you like it, then I hope you'll also get impatient waiting for When Fire...,just like me. If not, you know where you can send your hate e-mail. Noctuary. Remember the name. You'll be screaming it at a concert later.
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