Review by Vladimir on July 23, 2023.

It’s time to bring back the Brazilian metal attack, because I’ll be taking a look at a black metal band Nocturnal Force from Curitiba, Paraná and their brand-new EP The Kingdom Of Hatred, released on July 12th, 2023. 

The EP begins with an instrumental ambient intro which from the very get-go provides a solid build up to what is coming next, while also setting the tone of the EP. As the second track 'Encantamentos Mórbidos' kicks in, we get the in-your-face tremolo black metal riffs with drums that switch between fast Darkthrone beats and mid-tempo drumming while the vocals are your traditional harsh and frostbitten screaming. On top of this, there are some symphonic and atmospheric bits with synths that appear on the third track 'Forças De Satã (Guerras Profanas)', which also throws in these occasional melodic guitar lines and guitar solos alongside thrashy riffs that altogether provide some different but interesting vibe. However, there are moments when the EP seems to stray off and lose track of itself, especially on tracks 'Necromancy' and 'Blackened Thrash Metal', which have a completely different sound production and deviates so much from the rest. Both of these tracks have a much more unpolished and raw sound compared to other songs, whereas 'Necromancy' also has a bit more synth sections than other songs. There are two instrumental tracks, 'Cryptic Invocatio' and 'Blackened Thrash Metal', both of which provide their own flavor, such as groovy riffs on 'Cryptic Invocatio'. The EP is pretty simple and straightforward when it comes to the overall execution from the band, with dynamic but generally unexaggerated songwriting which contains some thrashy and groovy elements alongside your usual black metal. I personally think that the music on this EP is solid, but not strong enough for me to grasp its riffs or entire songs, despite how hard they try to do their best. That’s not to say it’s bad or terrible, far from it, but the songs don’t really provide anything that could stand out or create some personal attachment with the listener and the music. As I mentioned, the sound production differs on some songs drastically from the rest, which I must admit confused me because it deviates so much. I honestly think that these songs would have worked better as bonus tracks, because they just feel like they don’t fit with the rest or that they were probably rushed and the band had no time to re-record or mix and master them. Something that I can’t wrap my head around is the title for the final track 'Blackened Thrash Metal', because I honestly don’t understand the use of such an uninspired and non-creative name for a song. Could it be that the band were out of ideas or was it a placeholder name for the song that simply ended up being used in the end. 

Personally, this EP isn’t anything special, but overall, it was an alright listening experience and it didn’t hurt that I gave it a chance. I am not sure if I could add anything else other than to suggest that you check it out if you’re curious to know what it is, especially if you came across this band on social media by any chance. 

Rating: 7 out of 10

Review by Carl on January 3, 2022.

It would be an understatement to say that Obtruncation has seen their share of bad luck throughout the years. They recorded their first full length in 1995, only to see it released in 1998. After that, there followed a silence that lasted until the release of this album in 2014, only to lose their drummer Martin in 2017 (RIP). Everything seems to be silent since then, unfortunately. It's a shame that a band this talented had to endure these setbacks. A fact made all the more clear listening to the music on this album.

On this album the band continues where they left off on their debut album. Death metal in the vein of like minded acts such as Azarath, Morbid Angel, Nox and Diabolic collides with thrash metal as it is played by acts like Dead Head, Radiathor and Dark Angel, but there are also influences of others, such as "Human" era Death, Slayer and Sinister. The tempo is kept high for most of the album, and the band showcases musicianship that is a very good deal above par. The riffing is intricate and the lead work is searing, with the spirit of Trey Azagthoth never being far away. The individual songs are bursting with different riffs, breaks and tempo changes, and the level of energy is high throughout the runtime of this album. It took me a few listens to get to the heart of the matter, because there is so much happening. Still, and this must be said, it never deteriorates into a chaotic mess or does it become unlistenable, the band keeps it fierce and on point for the complete duration of the album. This picture of technical yet remorselessly aggressive death metal is completed by the awesome vocals. Singer Anton uses different techniques with his voice, and in doing so successfully builds in a lot of variation with this. From barked growls, hoarse grunts and snarled screams, that sound like the phlegm is actually hitting my eardrum, it all comes roaring by, complementing the intense music and adding even more suspense to the complete picture. The production sounds contemporary and modern, but does so without veering into synthetic sounding and overly digital territory. Everything the musicians play can be clearly discerned, while the music is still able to breathe.

As stated earlier, it will probably take a few spins to really "get" the album, but the more you listen, the better this gets. The music is technical, but never loses itself in pointless wankery, staying brutal and aggressive, and thanks to the excellent production, it all stays energetic and powerful.

If you like bands such as Centurian, Angelcorpse, Chaos Inception, Brazil's Abhorrence and those mentioned earlier, you will find much to your liking on this great album. If you are a fan of well played high speed death metal, you can't afford to miss this one.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Lynxie on November 12, 2022.

I remember checking Memories Of Old out in the early February of 2020 when I was rather new to both metal and power metal. At that time, I had just got into Reinxeed and I thought of trying some of Tommy's other works. Back then, only the singles were out, and I didn't think much of it. Then this dropped and blew my mind with its sheer power and epicness. I'm constantly going back to The Zeramin Game all these times and honestly by this point, this release has reached perfection on my scale.

Straight to the content. As usual, we start with a narrative intro introducing the background of the album. In this case, our story is set in a cursed land without history named Xia. And then Overture would give you an idea of the whole musical progression of the album. Already the epicness was overflowing, then the grand anthem The Land of Xia stirred up the adventurous mood almost immediately with its pounding rhythm and soaring chorus. Zera's Shadow will sweep you on with its epic, bombastic orchestra. The flowing solo and infectious chorus really sums up what I do enjoy about the symphonic side of power metal. Certainly fans of Rhapsody will not find this boring. And with the first two songs we’ll be familiar with the setting of legend - we know the ailment of the land of Xia and we know it lies under the shadow of the island of Zera.

Now the focus zooms in on our young protagonist Vi and his companion Ty as Some Day Soon expresses their frustration at proving themselves. This track is definitely delivered with some of Sabaton's riffing energy and the chorus is not without a hymnal quality. Of course, no power metal album is complete without a ballad or two, and Destiny is the ultimate power ballad with its swinging rhythm and Tommy delivering some emotional verses. What's more, it definitely made the next track Across the Sea sound more glorious in contrast to the former's melancholic beauty. And the banging riffage on Arrival pushed things to a semi climax for me with its obvious Crystal Empire influence. I especially enjoyed the last part where the guitar and orchestra weaved a fully epic melody. By this point, the story has also come to a semi climax as the young adventurers arrived on the shores of Zera and took their first perilous steps in the Zeramin Game.

Then the storytelling turns to Fowlen, "until now, a man with an untold story of his own" and the would-be protégé of Vi and Ty. Fowlen's Revenge tells briefly of his grief with Zera and his pursuit for the brave young warriors; I suggest a trip to the band’s official website to get to know the whole story. With its keyboard flashing along the guitar in an extremely Freedom Call way and its fast pace, this is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album. I especially enjoy the little twist in the solo around 5:00 - you'll have to hear it to appreciate it.

At last,we come to the title track, the 14-min epic The Zeramin Game. One might think that a 14-min epic after an album of songs with approximate length of 6 minutes may be too ambitious, but no, this is an absolutely captivating track with its own twists and turns, highs and lows.There are straightforward heavy rocking parts and there are some passages that overdosed on the epicness. As the narrator chants to the rhythm and the tension builds up at around 8:00, the final climax is brought off by a flashy solo. This will definitely raise some goosebumps. What's more, the final reference to The Land of Xia completed the sense of symmetry that I'd always appreciate in concept albums. And the happy Finale will send you on your way with a brilliant mood.

What I consider as one of this album's greatest virtues is probably its pristine production. I remember comparing this one to A Christmas Carol back in 2020 since Tommy was on both of them. And I was struck by how flat and Disney-like the former was while this one's instrumental arrangements and compositing is simply ... perfect. There is an obvious bassline and the drums are the literal backbone of the album. The guitar sound is not drowned out by the orchestra. There are some pretty beefy riffs in songs like Fowlen’s Revenge and Billy pushed out some really slick solos. My favorite thing is how precisely the orchestra adds to the epicness - there are quite a few parts where the thrill just ran down my spine. Then again the upbeat melodies and the generally galloping rhythm are all absolutely satisfying for such an old school power metal fangirl like me. And of course Tommy handled this one magnificently. His range and tone is the perfect fit for this sort of glorious symphonic power metal. The soaring choruses, the heavier verses and the epic choirs were all delivered straight onto my musical G-spot.

I've been thinking about penning this review for some time now, but I've never really got around to doing it until this week. Not that this is an overtly complicated album. Indeed, if you break it down to its core, you'll know it to be not much more than a regular power metal concept album. Yet, basic as it is, everything just falls together so naturally and effortlessly that I can find no dull point. Billy is such a genius composer and lyricist that he has made the generic tale of a young warrior seeking glory really works this time - I started to sympathize with Vi as Tommy sings “Till now I’ve lived a life of mediocrity”; when the guitars rings out to the narrator chanting ominously, my heart clutched for the fate of the young warriors. Even the more Disney-like passages are fun and there’s no cringe moment where the excess of orchestra makes me nauseous. I sure enjoyed this release immensely back in 2020, and I still love it to this day. If symphonic power metal should have a definition, then this would serve. And for a debut, this is most certainly a masterpiece that will stand the test of time.

Highlights:
'The Land of Xia'
'Some Day Soon'
'Arrival'
'Fowlen’s Revenge'
'The Zeramin Game'

Rating: 10 out of 10