After the debut album Daughters Of The Night (2022) that mixed symphonic and gothic metal with power metal, it is now time for the second album from the Italian band Nocturna. We are getting onboard with Of Sorcery And Darkness as we missed the debut at Zware Metalen. About this latest album the press release states that it redefines the term “duality” and that the lyrics are inspired by romance, combined with the band’s refined sonic approach. It continues that the vocals of Grace Darkling and Rehn Stillnight paint mysterious and sensual portraits of an ancestral time that is still close to us. Well, Scarlet Records does know how to package it nicely yet it sounds somewhat hollow, at least that’s my first impression. I may have a general idea of what to expect but that description does not really mean anything. Time to listen to the music itself.
The thematic content that is to be expected from a gothic metal band is immediately apparent with the opener Burn The Witch. The initial impression might be, ‘oh, another song about witches on the stake’. It has to be said, however, that the ladies manage to captivate you with quite impressive vocals. Think mostly of Nightwish, Epica, After Forever and similar bands. The music itself trots along much more smoothly and effectively has one foot in the gothic scene and the other more in power metal: the drumming in particular puts itself squarely in the latter genre whereas the guitars and atmosphere, with a prominent role for the vocals as well, remind me much more of the gothic of the early ’90s. And listen to that delightful, smooth guitar solo! In that regard, the previously quoted text definitely was not misleading.
Sapphire has a bit more melodrama, especially because of the meandering, heavily emphasized riffs and the somewhat slowed-down style. I find it a particularly beautiful and clean song in the literal sense of the word. During the third song, Noctis Avem, the band picks up the pace again, being stylistically similar to the opener. We even get to hear some blast beats! It seems that the band is able to alternate styles from song to song, without losing the gothic ambiance out of sight. It’s noteworthy how well the vocal duo fits together.
During the first few listens the music already has enough substance for me to switch from speakers to qualitative headphones to enjoy it all in full. Apart from the fact that the vocals sound lovely, there is also a bewitching character to them. A range of symphonic elements, such as choir vocals and keyboard parts, adds extra atmosphere and depth to the album.
The Italians continue the album with the pounding Creatures Of Darkness. The more narrative, heroic-sounding vocals pick up the song almost immediately, and a few moments later, the soprano-like vocals kick in. It’s evident that these ladies have been working together for a long time. The music itself is quite adventurous and often a bit harder than I had initially expected. But the band gives me little time to dwell on this as the next killer track Midnight Sun is already taking off. This time, more space is given to the soprano-like vocals, and the other vocals play more of a supporting role. After this song the band continues its musical journey with the intermezzo First Disobedience. We hear crows, an atmospheric keyboard palette, spoken vocals and trumpet sounds. It sets the stage for the second, rougher part of Of Sorcery And Darkness.
Through The Maze does not disappoint, although the band seems to bring out the classic gothic approach here. The execution is fine, with an incredibly beautiful, touching chorus. The band doesn’t quite follow through with Strangers. A wonderfully bombastic and explosive song, where I am once again pleased with the overall sound and the position of the drumming. The short, calm vocal part at the ending stands out in particular, after which the band exits with a loud bang. The tasteful thirty-seven minutes end with the classic, calm, yet very captivating Last Day On Earth. This song unfolds differently, with beautifully harmonized vocals, shredding guitars and a fine sense of melody and atmosphere.
I honestly have to admit that I’m not sure what I’ve been listening to. Is this the beginning of a new subgenre, with elements from gothic and power metal? Let’s just call it powergothic for convenience, I have no other description for it. There are a lot of impressive and tasteful moments to be heard on Of Sorcery And Darkness. Sometimes they came totally unexpected, like at the beginning of Noctis Avem when suddenly a long-drawn-out vocal line is heard, or the previously mentioned blast beats. Or during the overwhelming Creatures Of Darkness with its drumming and beautiful, emotive vocals. Let me conclude with a compliment for the clear and detailed production and the noteworthy fact that the lyrics are not run-of-the-mill stories.
Score:
87/100
Label:
Scarlet Records, 2024
Tracklisting:
- Burn The Witch
- Sapphire
- Noctis Avem
- Creatures Of Darkness
- Midnight Sun
- First Disobedience
- Seven Sins
- Through The Maze
- Strangers
- Last Day On Earth
Line-up:
- Grace Darkling – Vocals
- Rehn Stillnight – Vocals
- Hedon – Guitars
- Antares – Bass
- Deimos – Drums
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