NOCTEM - SPAIN - Black Death Metal
Here we are to present and review the "Divinity" release of NOCTEM, Spanish Black Death Metal hellions! Without a doubt one of the best bands in this genre to come from Southern Europe, this debut release is a proof of that. Extreme, Epic, fast, brutal and a damn delightful piece of Metal Art that shall pierce your ears with such (un)Divine Majesty! A true Apocalyptical sound based on ancient myths (like the Atlantis) and legendary tales as well as mind liberating anthems! It's impressive that this is just their debut release, means that the coming releases should become even more developed which is something outstanding! "Divinity" is a piece of Art achieved by these Spanish riders of the promised human WARmageddon! The first piece of a trilogy not to be missed by the fans of Extreme Metal in general!
NeKronos Promotion HELL
NOCTEM - Divinity - 2009 - Noisehead Records (Austria)
Genre : Blackened Death Metal
"(...)Apophis! more ancient than the memories, beyond the line of the horizon, take my divine offering.
Conquests the kingdom of flesh. Crown me beyond of the stars. Grant me the sacred eternal life.(...)" Divinity - Divinity
Noctem have been founded in Valencia - Spain in April 2001. They play an outstanding Black Death Metal combo with defined ideals, based on the antithesis of the whole absurd human religions, misanthropy and cult of the former civilizations, violence, destruction and death. Such a fresh band with so much achieved already, impressive and professional looking video-clips from 3 tracks of this release (links below on album track-list), this with an own charisma and illuminated aura! All their professional attitude and own-identity has allowed them to tour with bands like Hate, Gorgoroth, Samael, Incantation and more! Signed with the well-known "Flaming Arts booking agency" (Sceptic Flesh, Blood Red Throne and more). So much in so few time, means we are dealing here with damn skilled and talented musicians, already being endorsed by some great names like Mayones guitars, Liszko guitar straps and Saluda Cymbals. With "Divinity" their debut release and first piece of the Trilogy, the band unleashes the fury of Metal Wrath in a Deep Dark formula, a delight to any Extreme Metal fan. It has the obscure Black Metal spice and the Brutal piercing Death Metal aggression in its right proportions. If you are a fan of bands like Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Behemoth, Aborted, Sceptic Flesh, Nile, Kataklysm, to name few, you will be damn pleased with Noctem mighty work!
This "Divinity" album is and Extreme Metal piece showing the offspring of this skilled musicians Art, they explore this metal combo to it's limits, unleashing an Cataclysmic (un)Divine BeAst of darkest forms and Epic proportions, all with an own identity and brutal fatal formula. With it they detach from today's days Metal banality. The production is clean but it conserves the blackened atmosphere that the band wishes to unleash upon the listeners ears. Recorded in Austria at Noisehead Studios by Mario Jezick! The sound couldn't fit much better for this audio WARmageddon, an outstanding debut that will take them far in this Metal Universe!
Noctem sound is an Apocalyptic blend of the finest Death and Black Metal quintessence, the wrathful hymns of brutality, the glorious melodies and smart use of keyboards here and there, the outstanding epic themes and intros, the inspired and cult lyricism, proves that I am not wrong to say that Noctem are one of the best bands born in Southern European lands!
"Divinity" takes you to a world of human ignorance, a world where Mankind is slaving for higher divinities and losing their own identity as Man (born free and slave of no one)! "Divinity" tells about the rise and fall of great civilisations of man like the one of Atlantis, the long forgotten land where brave warriors battled for eternal glory. Within' this victorious times, the sense of freedom was often lost, lost to an higher form of power by the name of religion, here Man was tied up to false Gods and it's rules of slavery, killing in their name and kneeling before them, all this gave power to those who were already powerful and diminished others to the level of human slaves! This has been happening since the dawn of times till today's days, it's time for man to liberate their mind and soul and embrace his own life with priority to any other thing! Disobey to the standards and make your own path to glory! All that rises will fall someday!
The Atlantean Divinity both Evil and Honourable cover artwork done by Marcelo Vasco (Hate, Belphegor, Keep of Kalessin, Vader, etc...) the famous Brazilian outstanding artist, and all the enlighten lyrical concept embraces this ideals of freedom and self-inflicted mankind slavery to man-made Divinities who were nothing more than a creation of their own minds!
Noctem have built an outstanding work with delightful riffs, grooves and guitar melodies by Hellion and Exo, brutal and versatile fitting drums by Darko, wrathful vocals and lyrical concept by Beleth, pounding bass by UI and even recruited the talent of Christos Antoniou (Septic flesh and Chaos star) and of Leal (ex-Forever Slave) who contributed with their well-known touch of Metal art!
It's hard as always to pick up favourite tracks on such a vicious Metal release, since the opening melodic intro track "Atlas Death" the listeners are pierced with outstanding tracks like "In the Path of Heleim" a skull drilling fast track , "Realms in Decay" a track with slower with darkly decadent environment then followed by "The Sanctuary" an Apocalyptic tune taken deep from ancient catacombs, ignited by the drums of doom a virulent audio bloodshed is unleashed on "The Call of Oricalco's Horn". The quality of this release is high and ending with some extraordinary track combo like ,"Divinity [Orchestral Version]" their highest Epic highlight featuring Christos Antoniou, a track to stay in your ears for long, followed by "Religious Plagues" track, deeply darkened by the decadent godlike plagues upon mankind with such a great melodic ending and then the last track "Under Seas of Silence" that is another great Dark Epic piece, leading you into the serenity of Atlantis waves that slowly erased the history of one of the wisest civilisations of man. As bonus you can check the track "Divinity" without the orchestral arrangements, a "must-check" track!
This debut release of Noctem is showing a band with all the right attributes and maturity to triumph on today's Metal World! Not only they have the skills and talent but also bring a special aura with them! "Divinity" is a "must-have" release for all extreme metal addicts, it has the right dose of Death Metal aggression and the Darkness of Black Metal with a high quality sound! It all makes you anxious for their next releases! The tales of long forgotten Atlantis lands couldn't find a better soundtrack! Rise to embrace your own Divinity and unleash yourself from the fabricated, false Man-Gods of Human decadence!
RüPä - NeKronos Promotion HELL
RATE: 8,5/10
Here is the Tracklist for the album:
NOCTEM - "Divinity" - CD 2009
01 - Atlas Death
02 - In the Path of Heleim
03 - Realms in Decay
04 - The Sanctuary
05 - The Call of Oricalco's Horn
06 - Across Heracles Towards
07 - In the Aeons of Time
08 - Necropolys of Esthar's Ruins
09 - Divinity [Orchestral Version]
10 - Religious Plagues
11 - Under Seas of Silence
12 - Divinity [Bonus Track]
Total playing time = 45m
Recording Line-up:
Exo - Guitars (lead)
Beleth - Vocals
UI - Bass
Darko - Drums
Helion - Guitars (rhythm)
Check Out the Clip for the title track "Divinity" :http://youtu.be/RlD9TRjKgRs
For further Information check:
Official Site: WWW.NOCTEMOFFICIAL.COM
Official MySpace: WWW.MYSPACE.COM/NOCTEMOFFICIAL
Official YouTube: WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/NOCTEMBAND
Official Twitter: WWW.TWITTER.COM/NOCTEMOFFICIAL
Official Facebook: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NOCTEMOFFICIAL
General Contact: noctemband@gmail.com