NOCTURNUS - Thresholds
1. Climate Controller
2. Tribal Vodoun
3. Nocturne In Bm
4. Arctic Crypt
5. Aquatica
6. Subterranean Infiltrator
7. Alter Reality
8. Gridzone
Label: Earache Records
Release date: 1992
Artist site:
GRADE:
7.5/10
Old school death metal fans can probably remember this band being very controversial simply because they had a keyboardist in their ranks. This was before the rise of symphonic black metal and back then synths weren't looked at in a favorable light. Matter of fact, you were downright wuss if you had them. However, looking back, NOCTURNUS were way ahead of their time. Granted, drummer Mike Browning had an enormous ego, which he wasn't really deserving of having, but the rest of the band were amazing. Guitarist Mike Davis and Sean McKinney were the only guitarists in the death metal genre on par with Trey Azagthoth and Richard Brunelle of MORBID ANGEL at the time.
Thresholds was their second album for Earache, the band recruited Dan Izzo to handle all of the vocals, leaving Browning to focus solely on his drumkit. I wish I could say that this helped him out, but his playing didn't get any better. If anything, he tried to get more technical, and this only exposed his limited abilities even more. That being said, I loved this album back in the day and still pull it from the shelf from time to time. Their sc-fi inspired album art was different than the Dan Seagrave flavor of the day. I remember staring at their covers while listening and transporting myself to the worlds they were writing about. What imaginations!
Listening to Thresholds now, the whole thing is just marred by awful production. Hard to understand, when you look at the credits. Tom Morris, Morrisound Recording, what in the hell happened? Just listen to the instrumental "Nocturne In Bm," a beautifully written wankfest. On headphones, the levels shift around so much in regards to the keyboards, that the song sounds like it is being played on a warped cassette tape and not on a cd!
Izzo's vocals weren't much different than Browning's, a semi-growl, semi-rasp delivery. Not sure what he's chanting about at the beginning of the first track, I think it's from the Necronomicon. The beat is an awkward tempo to start off with, and right away it's noticeable that the direction is even more technical. My favorites come halfway through, with "Arctic Crypt" and "Aquatica." The acoustic break in "Arctic Crypt" before the solos, the solos themselves, the keyboard solo at the end, this is classic NOCTURNUS. The underwater sounds at the beginning of "Aquatica," the riffs that follow, simply epic, both in length and in scope. I wonder why Trey Azagthoth hasn't gotten either of these guys to join him in Morbid Angel yet.... savory indeed.
All in all, there is some good material here, it could just use a good re-mixing and re-mastering job. Tell Santa to add that to my Christmas wish list.
PJ
1. Climate Controller
2. Tribal Vodoun
3. Nocturne In Bm
4. Arctic Crypt
5. Aquatica
6. Subterranean Infiltrator
7. Alter Reality
8. Gridzone
Label: Earache Records
Release date: 1992
Artist site:
GRADE:
7.5/10
Old school death metal fans can probably remember this band being very controversial simply because they had a keyboardist in their ranks. This was before the rise of symphonic black metal and back then synths weren't looked at in a favorable light. Matter of fact, you were downright wuss if you had them. However, looking back, NOCTURNUS were way ahead of their time. Granted, drummer Mike Browning had an enormous ego, which he wasn't really deserving of having, but the rest of the band were amazing. Guitarist Mike Davis and Sean McKinney were the only guitarists in the death metal genre on par with Trey Azagthoth and Richard Brunelle of MORBID ANGEL at the time.
Thresholds was their second album for Earache, the band recruited Dan Izzo to handle all of the vocals, leaving Browning to focus solely on his drumkit. I wish I could say that this helped him out, but his playing didn't get any better. If anything, he tried to get more technical, and this only exposed his limited abilities even more. That being said, I loved this album back in the day and still pull it from the shelf from time to time. Their sc-fi inspired album art was different than the Dan Seagrave flavor of the day. I remember staring at their covers while listening and transporting myself to the worlds they were writing about. What imaginations!
Listening to Thresholds now, the whole thing is just marred by awful production. Hard to understand, when you look at the credits. Tom Morris, Morrisound Recording, what in the hell happened? Just listen to the instrumental "Nocturne In Bm," a beautifully written wankfest. On headphones, the levels shift around so much in regards to the keyboards, that the song sounds like it is being played on a warped cassette tape and not on a cd!
Izzo's vocals weren't much different than Browning's, a semi-growl, semi-rasp delivery. Not sure what he's chanting about at the beginning of the first track, I think it's from the Necronomicon. The beat is an awkward tempo to start off with, and right away it's noticeable that the direction is even more technical. My favorites come halfway through, with "Arctic Crypt" and "Aquatica." The acoustic break in "Arctic Crypt" before the solos, the solos themselves, the keyboard solo at the end, this is classic NOCTURNUS. The underwater sounds at the beginning of "Aquatica," the riffs that follow, simply epic, both in length and in scope. I wonder why Trey Azagthoth hasn't gotten either of these guys to join him in Morbid Angel yet.... savory indeed.
All in all, there is some good material here, it could just use a good re-mixing and re-mastering job. Tell Santa to add that to my Christmas wish list.
PJ
