Noctem Oblivion Review: It’s Violent Enough To Sonically Break Your Neck

Yell! Magazine reviews Noctem’s Oblivion:

I’m a huge fan of tribal beats in metal/hard rock, and I blame it all on Van Halen’s “Everybody Wants Some.” But when an album opens with a track that sounds like segments of LOST, the theme music to Battlestar Galactica, and Halo all at once, the album is either going to be epic or the band is overreaching, destined to be a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure. And from the first note of Noctem’s second track, “The Arrival of the False Gods,” after they’ve set expectations high with the intro, all doubt that Oblivion might suck can be forgotten.

Since 2001 this Spanish extreme metal outfit has been tearing shit up, and if you haven’t heard of them, it’s about time you have. We gave you a taste awhile back, and we totally praised their live show. But we didn’t give you much background other than the fact that they hail from Spain. So here’s a little more: Noctem released their first EP, God Among Slaves, back in 2007 (after 2003’s Unholy Blood demo and 2004’s live demo) followed shortly by their debut album, Divinity, in 2009. While we’re pretty sure that these aren’t their real names, Noctem band members are calling themselves as follows:

• Beleth – Vocals
• Exo – Lead guitars
• Helion – Rhythm guitars
• Ul – Bass guitar
• Darko – Drums

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Oblivion is an extremely violent album, but one that is easy to digest. From start to finish the death metal hits you hard, like that first humbling moment you piss needles after fornicating with a hooker (TheMatt knows a thing or two about that). However, it’s melodic, and it’s not your Arch Enemy brand of melodic death metal. Oblivion isn’t filled with catchy hooks; it isn’t rife with punchy choruses; there’s no sexy lead vocalist (no matter how talented she is) to make it easy on the senses. It is honest, hungry, filled with gripping riffs and epic solos, and relentless drumming that manages to blend with the melody while still providing a fury of blistering fills that make Bruce Lee’s fists look infantile.

5 Key Tracks from Noctem’s Oblivion:

The Verdict: [rating:3.5]

Noctem’s Oblivion isn’t for the masses, but it should certainly rank high among metallers, specifically fans of melodic death metal and/or extreme metal. Through the cacophony of violent noise is a brutal melody that keeps the listener interested, if not enchanted. Noctem also knows how and when to break the noise to give the listener a chance to breathe. It’s one thing to be heavy and loud, it’s something altogether different to be obnoxious and uncreative. Noctem delivers bridges, time shifts, break downs, sound effects, and something completely different than their usual modus operandi (i.e., something soft) when appropriate and needed. A work of pure genius? Well, no, but it is wicked and choice.

Rock Hard!

Oblivion Track List

1. Popol Vuh
2. The Arrival of the False Gods
3. Universal Disorder
4. Abnegation and Brutality
5. Invictus
6. Sons of Hun-vucub
7. Seeking the Ruin of Souls
8. Unredemption
9. Q’uma’rka’aa’j
10. A Borning Winged Snake
11. Oblivion