Ah, the RMR crew finally found the exit out of the murky underground. The hollow caves where the blackest of metal dwells on sumpy morasses of eerily glowing mushrooms. Ritual magick at work at any dark turn of endless black masses. Thus, we emerged into a magical forest where witches cast spells upon unsuspecting travelers. But then, the mauve-colored album art already gave this away, right?
A landscape inhabited by the Italians of Nocturna and their newest concoction Of Sorcery And Darkness. A new installment of Power Metal, courtesy of Scarlet Records. And before confusion sets in, this outfit hails from Milan, not Cesena or Torino. This specific band name is legion across the globe, it appears.
The first track Burn The Witch took nobody by surprise once it roared onward with typical Italian Power Metal fare. Because – you see – the occupants of the review desk immediately had flashbacks. Bright spots of déjà-vu and visions of wares bands like Frozen Crown served us some time ago. And sure enough, the unmasked Hedon turned out to be Federico Mondelli of that very same band. And that might be a curse or a blessing.
Nocturna indeed didn’t go for the inventor’s prize this time. Instead, they went for tried and true values that are well-ensconced in the Power Metal scene. Of Sorcery and Darkness gorges with reckless galloping about the soundscape without fear of speeding tickets. Wild shredding that will electrically charge your hairdo, high-pitched solos, keys and synth in overdrive, and group chanting that will make Temperance take cover. All of this comes with relentless drumming and merciless blast beats at every corner of this record.
Yet, the double ticket of two female vocalists saves the record’s proverbial bacon. Grace Darkling1 and Rehn Stillnight2 are an extremely well-entrenched tag team. The record overflows with excellent duets and harmonies that supercharge the songs’ melodic paths. On top of that, the band injected a lot of gothic undercurrents into their metal fare. In other words, this Power Metal brand quickly loses its happy burnish and – instead – veers into mystical and magical lands. And that at the speed usually reserved for bands like Unleash The Archers and the symphonic oomph worthy of one Lacuna Coil.
So, all’s well in PM land? Not quite, it’s complicated. True, the production is polished down to a fine grain and almost at Teflon quality. Yet, the cut-and-paste approach to the songs and structures in place conjured that awful ghost of déja-vu. It ain’t enough to rinse and repeat what worked best in the past and reinstall on another record. A dangerous proposition in a genre that – as many metal subgenres out there – is dangerously overstretched.
And that pained the RMR reviewers. You see, it’s all there. High octane vocals, speedy riffs, shredding galore, thunderous drums, endless blast beats, and energy to spare. A stellar vocal performance that is as powerful as it is varied. However, the aforementioned shortcomings lead to a predictable series of songs with little further excitement. In fact, one has to wait until Seven Sins and Strangers come on board to get at least some extra value for the money. The former with baroque, gothic airs and faint hints of some Viking Metal mastery. And the latter track comes with a true load of a few welcome extra ideas.
Ultimately though, Of Sorcery and Darkness ain’t a bad record and it will undoubtedly sit well with the hardcore Power Metal fanbase. The record just seems to like its comfort zone a tad too much. And that indeed prevents the piece from moving from good into zones where great records dwell. The talent, savoir-faire, and musical prowess are indeed there. But it just won’t come out right this time. It will be up to Nocturna to fire up their songwriting skills and dazzle us with their next record. Alas – this time – this didn’t quite work out.
Record Rating: 6/10 | Label: Scarlet Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 19 April 2024