The hiatus is over for The Noctambulant.
Having been quiet since their last EP in 2021, E. Helvete (guitar/vocals, ex-Tengger Cavalry), D. Franseth (drums/backing vocals), and Lars G. (bass/backing vocals) have recruited Rev. Beaumont (guitar) to help bring their third album Revival to life, released on Terminus Hate City Records.
After a solid minute-long intro that straddles darkness and modernity, Bring the Sorrow kicks off at a brisk pace, allowing the band to weave a blend of pure, mid-tempo-bordering intensity with a few sinister melodies in the background before the vocals kick in, making the sound far more aggressive. The backing vocals help make the sound catchy, but in no way detract from the piercing elements the band plays with for a moment before moving on to Apokalypsis and its slightly more furious approach, bringing the blast beats to the forefront while the guitars build in the background. The sound remains consistently effective before shifting to the almost joyful Dark Dawn, which features catchy folk roots that the band takes pleasure in corrupting to better exploit them and add its scathing harmonics, before charging full steam ahead again on Macabre, a massive track that embraces both its old-school influences and its orchestral sections. Interlude gives us a brief respite with a sampled voice set against an unsettling atmosphere, but the calm is shattered by Skeleton Key, which takes over and in turn sweeps over us, carrying us away in its tide of raw, instantly unifying fury. Note the attention to detail on the lead guitar, which at times seems slightly subdued on Killing Tree, the next track, where the rhythm section really lets loose, creating a veritable organized chaos before Hell Ride offers a welcome Gothic twist. Here again, the screams are never far away, just like the raw, jerky patterns that complement the more majestic tones; then, with San Martino, the band becomes even more unsettling, letting roars and whispers in Spanish echo back and forth while the riffs flow at their own pace. The track features several successive waves of acceleration before Red Right Hand brings the album to a close, oscillating between haunting melodies and a series of vocal assaults, using its full length to captivate us one last time.
At times highly rhythmic, but at other times far more majestic, Revival allows The Noctambulant to make a furious comeback. While the album is sure to appeal to fans of Melodic Black Metal, I’m certain its Gothic influences will be just as appreciated.
80/100
