Review by TheOneNeverSeen on February 4, 2024.

3 years after the OK, but not stunning "Tides of Despair", the kings of French Depressive Suicidal Baguette Metal released "When My Time Has Come". While I wouldn't say it's my favorite album by the band, it's quite solid and definitely one of the most consistent releases this year.

The first thing one notices about this EP is that the band stays loyal to the melodic sound they started developing back on "L'isolement". Everything sounds clean and well-mixed. The guitars' sound is not as "piercing" as on "Spleen Black Metal", but is nonetheless good and fits the songs well.

Speaking of songs, there are three of them. The first one, "When My Time Has Come to Die", is a classic ND song. It has a more melancholic, rather than depressive mood, a nice "pensive" riff.

The second track is a remake of "Home Asylum" from "The Cult of Negation". Personally, I didn't like the original song that much and thus didn't find the new version striking in any way. The song is tolerable, but no more than that.

The third song, "The Dead Dreamer" is opened by one of the best riffs ND has lately written. Its mood it similar to the one of "When My Time Has Come to Die", but is slightly darker. The song's development does not rely too much on the repetition of the intro riff, unlike some others ND songs, which makes it more interesting and less predictable.

Lord Lokhraed's vocals are decent as always, although not very remarkable. The drums are also unchanged, still simple but not too primitive, adding to the album's atmosphere. Finally, the cover art is pretty good (especially considering most of the band's albums' covers are rather boring in my view).

So, while not offering anything totally new, "When My Time Has Come" is a fine Nocturnal Depression release that most fans will enjoy. Not the best material to start listening to this band, but not the worst, either.

Rating: 7 out of 10