I have to admit that many of you will immediately recognize the subject of today’s review. I had spoken about Nocturnus a mere 3 months ago, but since January always seems to start with an entry from the tome of Obscurus Metalus, and seeing as how this band is rather obscure, the two seemed like a good fit for each other. So, I decided to go back & give their first album a 2nd listen to, and thus it’s time to look at The Key once again. Go put on your spacesuit, get into your ship, and prepare for the sounds....of The Key. Let the review begin!
Background
Taken from Wikipedia:
“Nocturnus was formed in 1987 by drummer/vocalist Mike Browning following the breakup of his old band Incubus. The band was formed by Browning, former Incubus guitarist Gino Marino and former Agent Steel bassist Richard Bateman. The band eventually began working on material and added second guitarist Vincent Crowley. This first lineup recorded one self-titled demo in 1987. Crowley quit (going on to form Acheron) and was replaced by then-unknown 18-year-old guitar prodigy Mike Davis, who was also Marinos cousin. Bateman quit shortly afterwards to join Nasty Savage.
Nocturnus added new bassist Jeff Estes and a keyboard player, Louis Panzer, in 1988. Panzer's addition made the band unique in the death metal scene, and provided the band with an atmosphere that enhanced their increasingly science fiction themed lyrical content and image. This lineup put out the classic Science of Horror demo. In 1989 Marino quit and was replaced by Davis's long time friend and neighbor Sean McNenney. With both Davis and McNenney being highly technical players, their often dueling and very fast guitar solos became another focal point of the band.
In 1989, thanks in large part to Mike Davis's friendship with Morbid Angel guitarist Trey Azagthoth, the band signed to Earache Records. The band recorded their debut album, The Key with Tom Morris, which was released in 1990. The album, filled with a unique occult meets sci-fi concept (a blend of Browning and Davis's influences, respectively), virtuoso guitar pyrotechnics and space-age-ish keyboards, managed to become a death metal hit, spawning classic tracks such as "Standing In Blood" and "BC/AD (Before Christ/After Death)". It has gone on to sell 70,000 copies worldwide. It also featured backing vocals by former Mantas/Death and then Massacre vocalist Kam Lee.
Jeff Estes began developing a major drinking problem during the recording of The Key. This damaged his bass playing skills (Mike Davis ended up playing much of the bass on The Key) and was fired shortly after because of this. He was replaced by Jim O'Sullivan. With O'Sullivan on board, the band toured for The Key in 1991 in support of Bolt Thrower, and then embarked on the Grindcrusher tour with Morbid Angel, Napalm Death and Godflesh. O'Sullivan ended up not working out and he was fired as soon as the band's tours were over.”
Basic Description
Death Metal meets Science Fiction.
There have definitely been plenty of metal albums throughout the years that have surprised me, but none have ever surprised me much like The Key did. Death Metal is not the most artistic of the metal subgenres, with it’s growling vocals & sludgier (For the most part) instrumentation. Nocturnus’s first album does something different with Death Metal: you still have that genre’s vocal & instrumentation style, but this album has more going on. Thanks to the keyboard, Nocturnus has access to a new zone of music, full of sound & atmosphere. The band really harnesses the keyboard to create literal audio Science Fiction, and it permeates the entirely of The Key. Nocturnus also harnesses the power of Prog to a degree, although this aspect of the band is a little more subtle. You have to listen carefully, but a certain beat or two shows that the band is trying to do something more with one of the most aggressive metal subgenres out there. Quite commendable, if you ask me.
Best Track
Like I said during my overview back in October last year, I considered Destroying the Manger to be the best song of the album, but as I listened to the album again, it realized that it was my favorite song instead. The Key in it’s entirety is fantastic: from top to bottom every song balances Death Metal, keyboard, and Prog perfectly (Thought some might have an emphasis for one element over the others). Lake of Fire, for example, offers a great gateway into what Nocturnus is about on this 1st album. The opening track of The Key, Lake of Fire has each & every single element at play, and not one dominates over the other.
Lake of Fire
Destroying the Manger
Worst Track
If you’re more of a Death Metal purist, you’re probably gonna be turned off by the prog & keyboard aspects of this album (And this band in general). It certainly breaks the mold of what Death Metal is supposed to be, since keyboarding in Death Metal goes against the subgenre. I admit when I first listened to this album I thought it was odd, but as I got into The Key more, I found it to be a strange fit.
Overall Impression & Rating
The Key sounds like an album that can’t work, and to many it shouldn’t work.....but somehow it does. Somehow, the sci-fi stylings from the keyboard mixed with elements of Prog, and added to the Death Metal base, creates a record that’s incredibly unique. The atmosphere created by each of the songs is simultaneously bloodthirsty & ethereal, violent yet imaginative. I cannot tell you how awesome The Key is. You simply have to listen to it for yourself!
The Key gets a 10 out of 10. A Death Metal classic!
So that was my first review of 2017, covering an act that’s sadly become too obscure for it’s own good. Hopefully, this will spark some interest for you to seek out this band. Well, I’ve got another themed month for February, and it’s a doozy. See you next week!
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If you’re curious about Nocturnus, check out my overview I did a few months back. A link is provided below.
Metal Overview: Nocturnus
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