Label: Independent
Genre: Melodic Black Metal
Length: 30:34
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Noctivagum is a new name on the European extreme metal scene. The band is based between Italy and Germany, and their very first release is scheduled for 14 January, just one week from now. I had the privilege of listening to this first opus, entitled De Arcanis et Ritibus Sulphuris. In the following lines, I will share my impressions and what I took away from the EP after a first listen.
De Arcanis et Ritibus Sulphuris is a seven-track recording with a total running time of 30:34 minutes. The Italian-German band offers melodic black metal with a resolutely raw approach. The guitars are saturated and fast, blast beats are almost omnipresent throughout the EP, while acoustic elements occasionally emerge to reinforce the atmosphere. The vocal work is fully in line with this approach, alternating between screams, growls, dark ceremonial chants and narrative passages. I particularly appreciated the structure of the songs and the way each sequence is arranged, in keeping with the codes of the genre. As for the production, it is perfectly in line with the musical identity developed by the band.
The EP opens with Initium Caerimoniae, carried by acoustic guitar notes that create a heavy atmosphere that evolves over time, before the crackling of fire takes over just before the end. Ignis starts quickly and imposes a sound that is both melodic and raw, marked by frequent tempo changes. It is from 1:11 onwards that the composition becomes particularly interesting to me, with a passage that I also really enjoyed at 2:21. Arcana Noctis opens with a dark and ceremonial atmosphere, carried by dark narration, before the guitars take over in a hypnotic composition, supported by blast beats and rhythmic variations. On Ex Inferis, the raw energy is even more palpable, particularly through the drums and vocal work, where growls mingle with high-pitched screams, the track ending with ceremonial singing in an evil tone.
Wolf howls open Carpe Noctem, and at 0:28, the vocals deliver one of the best screams on the EP. I particularly enjoyed the instrumental outbursts starting at 0:52, before a sudden change of pace at 1:34, which I consider one of the highlights of the track. From 2:28 onwards, the intensity drops and gives way to a gloomy atmosphere that lasts for several seconds. At 3:27, I also liked the way the scream is arranged with the narrative vocals, and at 4:47, an excellent high-pitched solo (characteristic of this type of black metal) brings the track to a brilliant conclusion.
Occulta Suprema Ars, as its name suggests, embodies the supreme occult art: frenetic rhythms and powerful blast beats take hold from the very first notes. I particularly liked the tight melodies from 1:51 onwards, and at 2:55, the Greek band Zemial came to mind. The EP concludes with Finis Caerimoniae, an acoustic track with folk accents (if I am not wrong), which I particularly enjoyed from 0:51 onwards.
My favourites tracks are: Arcana Noctis, Carpe Noctem and Occulta Suprema Ars
