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Nocturnal Fear - Metal Of Honor review



Reviewer:
7.3

5 users:
8
Band: Nocturnal Fear
Album: Metal Of Honor
Release date: November 2009


01. Cast From Heaven
02. Nuclear Deathstrike
03. Death Before Dishonor
04. Soul Destroyer
05. The Victor And The Vanquished
06. Reign Of Terror [Instrumetal Trilogy]
    1 - A Call To Arms
    2 - Riding Into War
    3 - From Order To Chaos
07. The Enigma Of Steel
08. Soldiers Of Hell
09. Russian Roulette
10. Triumph Of Steel

When you're pushed... Killin's as easy as breathin'...

After a minute-long thunderstorm introduction, these US thrashers kick it into fifth gear with their nuclear-powered electric guitar assault and machine gun drums, backed by the grating shrieks of session vocalist Doomy G Blackthrash. And then the bombs really start dropping.

I must admit before continuing that I get a sour taste in my mouth when new thrash bands compare themselves to the likes of Sodom, Kreator, Destruction and co., because then I start comparing these new bands to Sodom, Kreator, Destruction and co., and that usually doesn't bode well for modern groups like Nocturnal Fear. That being said, these guys bring enough of their own ammunition to keep Metal Of Honor from becoming stagnant.

The music on this album isn't the most technical in the genre's history, but there is a definite course of action with each song and it appears that the band's ideas are all present on this release. The guitar riffs aren't overly complicated, as they are designed to get the target audience headbanging (and pretty much only headbanging), but Aggressor's rapid drum work keeps the group in check and makes the band's direction easy to follow.

Perhaps it's understandable that this thrash attack decided against the inclusion of overdone solos (or any type of solo for that matter), although they make up for it with a nice little break in the action on "Reign Of Terror", a quick-paced instrumental trilogy that maintains speed with the rest of the tracks of the album without getting carried away. The raspy Blackthrash fits perfectly with the band's sound, which, despite influences from a few aforementioned thrash pioneers, comes across as borderline Possessed worship. Some listeners will enjoy the lack of solos on Metal Of Honor and cherish it for its straightforward approach, while others might not care for its simplicity and abrasive speed.

The production value here is really what makes (and in some cases, breaks) Metal Of Honor. While fans of original German thrash metal and followers of the Bay Area scene will appreciate the old school sound, others who are used to the modernized production of say, Savage Messiah, will be left wondering what could have been.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 7
Originality: 7
Production: 7





Written on 17.04.2010 by I'm total pro; that's what I'm here for.


Comments

Comments: 1   Visited by: 65 users
18.04.2010 - 12:39
frankeli
Account deleted
I couldn't agree more.
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