Noctum - Final Sacrifice

There is something magical about this band right from the opening notes of ‘Conflagration’, something infectious and this majesty continues through the remainder of the album. Be prepared for some really cool guitar work hidden amongst their occult/doom rock and metal that has seen them compared to the likes of In Solitude. I see the similarities to the vocal style, but in a lower register guitarist and singer David Indelöf has the same sort of tone as that aforementioned band along with Portrait and even some Mercyful Fate. Of course, the latter two are more falsetto, but by comparison the projection is similar.

This genre or similar intertwined styles has gone through some high profile bands and releases of late, whilst some of the predecessors maybe running out of steam, Noctum are very fresh and very exciting. ‘Resurrected in Evil’ may have you thinking of the unnamed ones Ghost, but the instrumental ‘Deadly Connection’ will flip your senses to have you harbouring some classic rock vibes. ‘Final Sacrifice’ is not really comparable nor is it jumping on the retro rock vibe of late, it has its own dark character. The tempo in general is much faster than other doom styles classic rockers out there, it’s hard to describe, Noctum just have an art for involving the listener in their music.

This is a real damn good record, not perfect but it deserves another half point score at least. With many albums coming my way on a daily basis it’s a struggle to find something that genuinely stands out from the crowd. This is what ‘Final Sacrifice’ is to me, a stand out release based on classic musical values but presented with a fresh modern approach to a genre that needs this sort of rejuvenation.