Nocturna – Of Sorcery And Darkness

Nocturna
Of Sorcery And Darkness
Label: Scarlet Records
Out: April 19^th, 2024
Playing time: 36:55

Nocturna are still the kind of band about which there is very limited information. But thanks to the Encyclopaedia Metallum there is now a little bit of enlightenment. The band hails from Milan (Lombardy – Italy). The mystery behind some of the artist names has also been at least partially solved. The mastermind behind “Hedion”, for example, is Federico Mondelli, the founder of the Italian Power Metal band Frozen Crown. This also explains the band’s sound. Two years ago, the debut album “Daughters Of The Night” was released, with which Nocturna made a first impressive statement. Now the follow-up “Of Sorcery And Darkness” is in the starting blocks.

Fortunately, the album starts with “Burn The Witch” without an annoying intro. After epic choruses, you can immediately hear the two protagonists (singers). Soprano and mezzo-soprano harmonise well. The song leans heavily towards the mainstream. And Hedon shines for the first time with his virtuoso guitar playing. “Sapphire” also starts melodically but also powerfully. Driven by riffs, both vocalists drop in. Of course, the vocal duet also takes centre stage on “Noctis Avem”. But here the approach is even harder and faster than before. With “Creatures Of Darkness”, the number of beats is increased even further. The drums in particular drive everything forward. Up to this point, the album feels like a steady increase. This continues with “Midnight Sun”. And epic choir songs can be heard again and again. However, these are almost the only bombast the band indulges in. “First Disobedience” then starts a little more quietly. Keyboards are accompanied by the cries of crows. Later, orchestral passages can be heard. But this is only a brief instrumental interlude before returning to the familiar high tempo on “Seven Sins”. The two singers easily keep up with the high tempo set by the drums. Without compromising on the quality of the vocal performance. “Through The Maze” is then a little quieter again and moves into the mid-tempo range. In “Strangers” the bombast factor is raised once again. Once again, the drums whip ahead. “Last Day On Earth” brings the album to a quiet end. Alternating between great Metal anthem and ballad.

“Of Sorcery And Darkness” is a worthy successor. The sound and songwriting are on a similarly high level. The cross-references to other bands are significantly fewer. Nocturna seem to have found their own niche in Symphonic Metal. For the most part, the band plays at a high tempo, as one is used to from other Italian bands. Perhaps the musicians should be a little more variable in the future. They have proven that they can do this on this album.

Track list:

• Burn the Witch
• Sapphire
• Noctis Avem
• Creatures Of Darkness
• Midnight Sun
• First Disobedience
• Seven Sins
• Through The Maze
• Strangers
• Last Day On Earth