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Nocturnus - The Key
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8.8 | 239 votes |
Release date: August 1990
Style: Atmospheric death metal

Owners:
260 have it
48 want it


01. Lake Of Fire
02. Standing In Blood
03. Visions From Beyond The Grave
04. Neolithic
05. Undead Journey
06. BC/AD (Before Christ/After Death)
07. Andromeda Strain
08. Droid Sector
09. Destroying The Manger
10. Empire Of The Sands

Top 20 albums of 1990: 6
Review Lyrics (10)

Guest review by
Clintagräm
Rating:
8.5
When you think of the early innovators of Death Metal, names like Possessed, Death, Master, Morbid Angel, and Deicide are probably what come to mind. And rightly so, they all had a huge impact on the genre, and are still credible, durable, and enjoyable today. But one album, which might pass by some people in favor of say, 'Altars of Madness' or 'Scream Bloody Gore,' was released in 1990 by band called Nocturnus from the home of many of the early Death Metal acts: Tampa, Florida.

Read more ››
published 24.03.2008 | Comments (8)

Staff pick by
RaduP
24.08.2020
Another influential album released somewhere in August 1990, this one coming from Florida, the hotbed of early American death metal. Nocturnus may not have been the first band to take death metal in a more progressive direction, fellow Floridans themselves like Death and Atheist were already making their steps, but never had a death metal band incorporated keyboards that heavily into their sound and basically birthed technical/progressive death metal's fascination with space and sci-fi. Though they're not as technical as most of their peers and descendants, the musicianship on here isn't to be taken lightly, especially considering how unusual it is for the drummer to be the vocalist as well.



RaduP's picks | More picks ››
Thumbs up: ScreamingSteelUS, BitterCOld, Ag Fox, Mr. Doctor, nikarg, Apothecary, Darkside Momo

Found in 37 lists
Top lists

A List Of Great Debut Albums  | #111
Erik M.
My Top 75 Albums Of All Time  | #46
Erik M.
The @gents Old School Death Metal / Not So Old School Grindcore List  | #120
@gent_-_orange
Most Gripping Atmospheres  | #70
R'Vannith
Apothecary's Awesome Album Art Anthology  | #23
Apothecary
Best TDM Albums Of All Time  | #1
gorguts
Top 25 Awesome Debut Albums In Death Metal  | #23
Hugoj33
90s: The Essentials  | #52
Mikyz
More lists with this album (37) | Create a list! ››


Comments page 2 / 2

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Comments: 45   Visited by: 722 users
01.04.2014 - 21:35
Rating: 9
Erik M.
Written by psykometal on 31.03.2014 at 01:54

It's all good. I don't expect you to keep track of every facet of my life.


True enough. Unlike Edgar (Bad English) who actually does keep track of you and your whereabouts.
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02.04.2014 - 00:01
psykometal
A staff guy...
Written by Erik M. on 01.04.2014 at 21:35

True enough. Unlike Edgar (Bad English) who actually does keep track of you and your whereabouts.

Haha! No kidding!
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~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~

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02.04.2014 - 01:48
psykometal
A staff guy...
Written by Erik M. on 01.04.2014 at 21:35

True enough. Unlike Edgar (Bad English) who actually does keep track of you and your whereabouts.

Haha! No kidding!
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~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~

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05.04.2014 - 21:29
Rating: 9
Erik M.
Written by psykometal on 02.04.2014 at 00:01

Haha! No kidding!


One time is enough, you know.
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05.04.2014 - 21:31
Rating: 9
Erik M.
Written by deadone on 02.04.2014 at 01:21

I hope it involves watching one in the shower.


Be my guest, but I don't think either me or Edgar (Bad English) are up for that in case of Lex, hahaha.
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02.09.2015 - 00:39
Rating: 7
AmbivalentBadger
This is pretty overrated, I think. Old school Death Metal with keyboards is a nice and novel idea, but the mostly unmemorable riffs - with a few honourable exceptions - leave something to be desired, and the constant, mediocre shredding feels out of place much of the time. Personally, I found their second album much more appealing.
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02.09.2015 - 11:02
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by AmbivalentBadger on 02.09.2015 at 00:39

This is pretty overrated, I think. Old school Death Metal with keyboards is a nice and novel idea, but the mostly unmemorable riffs - with a few honourable exceptions - leave something to be desired, and the constant, mediocre shredding feels out of place much of the time. Personally, I found their second album much more appealing.

You should probably remove it from your Space Metal list then
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02.09.2015 - 11:23
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by AmbivalentBadger on 02.09.2015 at 00:39

This is pretty overrated, I think. Old school Death Metal with keyboards is a nice and novel idea, but the mostly unmemorable riffs - with a few honourable exceptions - leave something to be desired, and the constant, mediocre shredding feels out of place much of the time. Personally, I found their second album much more appealing.


IMO underated, how many today knows it?
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''

I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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02.09.2015 - 19:10
Lit.
Account deleted
Written by AmbivalentBadger on 02.09.2015 at 00:39

This is pretty overrated, I think. Old school Death Metal with keyboards is a nice and novel idea, but the mostly unmemorable riffs - with a few honourable exceptions - leave something to be desired, and the constant, mediocre shredding feels out of place much of the time. Personally, I found their second album much more appealing.

If none of those riffs sound memorable to you, you must have a pretty bad memory.
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28.09.2015 - 19:02
Rating: 7
AmbivalentBadger
Written by Guest on 02.09.2015 at 19:10

If none of those riffs sound memorable to you, you must have a pretty bad memory.


I never said that, even if I think most of them aren't. My memory may not be the best, but I am perfectly capable of remembering, say, most Death riffs quite well.
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28.09.2015 - 19:15
Rating: 7
AmbivalentBadger
Written by Guest on 02.09.2015 at 11:02

You should probably remove it from your Space Metal list then


Don't get me wrong, I still think think it's a decent album, and its place on that list is earned mostly by the atmosphere it creates. I would give it a 7.5, but I can't, and am rounding it down because I think the average rating is too high.
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28.09.2015 - 19:25
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by AmbivalentBadger on 28.09.2015 at 19:15

Don't get me wrong, I still think think it's a decent album, and its place on that list is earned mostly by the atmosphere it creates. I would give it a 7.5, but I can't, and am rounding it down because I think the average rating is too high.

Tbh, 7.5 is probably what I would give it. I find the concept of this album more interesting than the album itself. I rarely seem to finish it when I've given it plays.
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17.02.2016 - 00:19
Rating: 10
Tomas Piller
This is work of pure genius!
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04.03.2017 - 18:59
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Re listened 1th DM band what use keyboards, well I read it somewhere, still dm, a bit ketboardish sound , awesome, a bit unique and more less don't fits in that time, and lyrics about future, space .... awesome band, underated, how many knows it today? Not even biggest DM fans.
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''

I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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11.02.2021 - 01:37
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
This is rad, and dare I say better than Morbid Angel (Other than Gateways). Those keys are goofy in the perfect way. Great riffs, vocals and drumming. Production leaves a little to be desired but overall a banger.
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum
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