Another new album, and another band I’ve never heard of, although each and every track on Noctum’s Metal Blade début ‘Final Sacrifice’ tells of classic metal and hard rock influences. Hailing from Sweden, home of so much excellent metal and hard rock (see reviews passim for my opinion on Swedish productivity), and after creating a buzz with prior releases ‘Seance’ and ‘The Fiddler’, they’ve now been picked up by Metal Blade, a label that embraces so many of metal’s sub genres, pushing acts both classic and new. So, is Noctum a good addition to the roster? Read on.
‘Conflagration’ is the album opener, a fast and high riff combined with blasting power chords promising a slice of NWOBHM influenced rock, a sound delivered in spades, the vocals high and clear, suitably rife with myth and magic, the guitar solo likewise suitably epic. ‘Liberty in Death’ follows in the same vein, and I can only imagine the band members listening to big slices of Angel Witch and Saxon en route to writing this number, and by the time they move into ‘Resurrected in Evil’ a bit of Iommi’s slower string bending creeps to the fore in the sound, along with an early 70’s hard rock sensibility, the lyrics a tale of evil, hell, and man’s downfall. ‘Deadly Connection’ ups the rock factor, the guitar exchanges echoing the classic twin guitar exchanges of Thin Lizzy, in this instrument track, whilst ‘Void of Emptiness’ turns the dial on the amps firmly to ‘Volume IV’.
For me, in many ways the stand out track of the album is also the longest, ‘The Revisit’, a seven and a half minute long slice of hard prog rock, complete with a warbling flute intro that is replaced by a dark rhythm section and mournful vocals that build up before the instruments break into some classic Sabbathesque riffing, all accompanying a Satanic chant redolent of Black Widow’s ‘Come to the Sabbat’.
Throughout the whole of the album, what comes through is the many classic influences that Noctum clearly revere, all backed up by solid musicianship. What prevents me giving a higher score is that track on track, I kept on thinking “this sounds just like….” rather then getting into the album as of itself. I know there are only so many riffs in the world, and as a metal fan of many decades I may be getting jaded; as such, the album is one that to me promised more of potential then innovation. I’ve no doubt if Noctum were to play this album live from the first to last and I were in the audience I’d be grinning from ear to ear, but I am looking forward far more to their next release when they will distil the essence of their influences and add their own uniqueness to the blend.
(7/10 Spenny)
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