Noctule has awakened.
Created in 2020 by Serena Cherry (Svalbard), the project released its debut album the following year, but made us wait another five years for its second, Extinguish Thy Flame, based on the video game Elden Ring.
Welcome to Limgrave is our first taste of the musician’s ethereal melodies – initially very soft, then bolstered by heavier rhythms and melancholic touches – before the vocals kick in on Devour the Gods, which suddenly bursts into flames and sweeps us away in its torrent of fury. Noteworthy is the drumming, which doesn’t hesitate to slow down the mix to accommodate the roars or, conversely, let the leads wreak havoc before moving on to the epic Lord of Blood, which immediately takes over and delivers an imposing sound that shifts seamlessly from hypnotic harmonics to a devastating blast beat. A few backing vocals occasionally soothe the ever-present rage, but it always resurfaces sooner or later, leading us to Grafted, which opens with unsettling and mysterious notes but is sure to ramp up as well, offering a dark touch of aggression rooted in melodic black/death metal. The majestic tone often returns in the most ethereal passages, eventually giving way to silence before Goddess of Rot takes over, weaving an unsettling atmosphere before transforming it into a haunting, relentless force reinforced by visceral vocals. The track remains fairly calm, unlike Lament of the Omen King, which picks up the pace immediately and, after a brief moment, offers a frenzied approach in every respect, while the vocalist gives it her all, bringing a gripping intensity even when the riffs remain ethereal. The hazy sound just before the finale evokes the musician’s former band; she then moves right into O’ Death, a short, soothing instrumental that serves as an interlude leading into Become My Blade Once More, introduced by a sample before the long-awaited burst of intensity that lets the dark roots take over and give the track its full power. The finale gives us a moment to catch our breath before tackling Age of the Stars, an intoxicating track with roots that are, once again, quite piercing and slightly Old School, giving this dramatic yet catchy song a jerky quality though it quickly gives way to the final composition, Hallowhorn Grounds, which also sweeps us away in its raging torrent of riffs – partly dark, partly fierce – to offer us one last dose of those haunting melodies, even allowing itself a minimalist break before resuming and fading back into silence.
Since I haven’t played the game that inspired it, I don’t have the references from the excellent album Extinguish Thy Flame, but I can assure you that you can count on Noctule to create a fantastic and intoxicating atmosphere!
90/100
