Nocturnus AD - Unicursal

Angry Metal Guy 60

The memories of my first spin of Nocturnus’ seminal debut The Key way back in 1990 are still fresh in my ancient brain. In a time when death metal was still fairly new and evolving in different directions, the quirky and inventive sci-fi style of Nocturnus made an impression. Formed by Morbid Angel ex-pat Mike Browning, his brainchild was different and dynamic. It sounded like nothing that came before and promised a new world of musical adventure. Sadly, that promise was never completely fulfilled. 1992s Thresholds was less interesting, and by the time 1999 Ethereal Tomb showed up, the thrill was gone. When Browning reformed his project as Nocturnus AD and dropped 2019s Paradox, it ignited a fresh rush of possibility. Was this the long-awaited successor to The Key? Sadly, it was not, though it was a rip-roaring dose of proggy death with a grand scope. Now we get Unicursal and like its predecessor, the ambition is on full display as Browning and company strive to create a new world of unusual soundscapes. It’s an hour of wild time signatures, twisting tempo shifts, and enough technical chops to overdose on, but is it the Nocturnus album we dream about like so many electric sheep?

With the same lineup that made Paradox such a wild ride, Nocturnus AD come out swinging with confidence and swagger on proper opener “The Ascension Throne of Osiris.” No time is wasted blasting you with frantic riffs that constantly mutate, and it’s easy to hear nods to the early days as the band runs amok. It’s satisfyingly heavy and quite linear, driven by a collection of effective riffs and Browning’s kinda-sorta harsh vocals. The keyboards are still very present, lending atmosphere and a cinematic dimension. It leaves you excited for what’s to come and shows the band is tight, mean, and hungry. “CephaloGod” keeps the positive momentum with a thrashy attack and a respectable number of twists and turns, but as things progress, Browning’s uniform, staccato shout-vocals start becoming tedious. Things don’t go completely prog-wonky until the nearly 9 minutes of “Mesolithic” arrive. Here we wander from tribal drumming through progressive tech-thrash segments that remind of Atheist one minute, and Mordred and Faith No More the next. As riffs swirl and corkscrew in dizzying patterns, cinematic keyboards swell and crest, making for impressive moments. As a song, however, it sometimes feels stitched and bolted together like some kind of space-age Frankenstein.

The best moments arrive on the back half of the album, which continues Paradox’s saga of Dr. Magus and his quest to conquer the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. “Mission Malkuth” runs heavier and meaner with references to The Key more obviously as it plows your lawn with wild riffs and ever-shifting tempos. There’s a grand scale to the music that commands your attention, the thrashy leads have bite and heft, but things run too long at over 7 minutes. “Hod, the Stellar Light” is the high point, with a thrashy energy that recalls Vektor’s best moments and the music also nods to Dimension Hatross era Voivod. “Netzach, the Fire of Victory” is probably the least impactful main track, with a sleepy, stop-start, slow-fast dynamic that never seems to evolve meaningfully. The instrumental outro that follows is also underwhelming and I’m not a fan of its 1950s sci-fi keyboards which read as cheeeball rather than quaintly retro. The combined 11-plus minutes of these so-so final tracks end Unicursal with a tired whimper. With an hour of dense prog/tech misbehavior, Unicursal feels like too much of a wild thing, and by the time I get to the end, I’m plenty fatigued. Excessive lengths partially undermine good songs, but this is prog so that’s to be expected. Some self-editing would have gone a long way regardless.

The talent here is unquestionable. Demian Heftel and William Koblak are insane guitar phenoms bringing endless streams of technical thunder to the material. They craft sharp thrash leads, amazing harmonies, and jaw-dropping solos. It would be hard to ask more of them. Josh Holdren’s keyboards are interesting and versatile, adding muted textures and prominent cinematic flourishes as the songs may require. At times the push-pull between the heavy guitars and the melodic keys can become awkward but more often it creates a fascinating tension. Unfortunately, Mike Browning’s vocals don’t add much to the musical maelstrom. He no longer does death vocals and his mostly powerless delivery sits between spoken word and monotone shouting. Where he used a blackened snarl on much of Paradox with backing guttural death roars from William Koblak, that’s all gone now. It’s the main weakness here and it saps vitality and danger from the sound.

I didn’t come in expecting Unicursal to recapture the magic of the past, though there are flashes of that ancient brilliance. Nocturnus AD isn’t really playing death metal anymore and I wish this was much heavier, but it’s a mostly fun, energetic outing sure to please fans of techy thrash. Now go blast The Key.



Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Profound Lore
Websites: facebook.com/nocturnusad | instagram.com/nocturnusad
Releases Worldwide: May 17th, 2024

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