Nocturnal Fear: Code Of Violence
Nocturnal Fear: Album Review
Another month, another new band subscribing to the thrash ethos and the pressure's really beginning to build. Naysayers are already claiming the movement is dead and all they need is one almighty stinker of an album to upset everything.
Code Of Violence by Detroit-based outfit Nocturnal Fear isn't it. Back to basics old-school revitalism it may be, but this is still a rewarding blast of head-spinning chaos and all the more impressive considering there's only three of them in the band.
A lethal dose of American hatred
So what do Nocturnal Fear bring to the increasingly crowded table to make them stand out? Well, where most of the success stories of the past few years have relied on crossover thrash for inspiration and alcohol as a lyrical basis, Nocturnal Fear deal with much darker stuff.
This is not the good time party music that Gama Bomb trade in, this is metal of the evil variety, gas masks and nuclear holocausts replacing beer bongs and Karate movies. Musically, it recalls the 80s output of Teutonic legends Kreator and at times is so heavy, it teeters on the brink of vintage death metal.
Mouth for war
Not a record to set the mood at romantic dinner engagements then but anyone after an unapologetically brutal metal onslaught, could do a lot worse. Fifth track 'Out For Revenge' in particular is an instant joy and is sure to be a favourite in the live show. Vocalist Necromodeus barks like a man possessed and his gruff, three-packs-a-day roar suits the malicious volleys of hatred perfectly. Put simply, it's hard to imagine this man doing vocal warm-ups, unless they consist of shots of pure vodka mixed with broken glass.
The downside of this of course is that sometimes Code Of Violence is just a bit too familiar to be a 'must-have' CD. Veteran metalheads will have heard riffs like this a hundred times and anyone with a keen interest in the German thrash scene will find it hard to shake the sense of deja vu.
To be fair though, they aren't exactly hopping on the bandwagon in the name of a quick buck and have in fact been plying their trade for eight years now, this being their third full-length to date.
The band that follows hell
A 'D' for originality then but an 'A' for execution. While they might wear their influences on their sleeves Nocturnal Fear still have an identity all of their own. There's never any genuine plagiarism and while they may sound like a forgotten 80s German band, that's sure to attract just as many people as it puts off. Got space in the CD rack for one more neck-snapping jolt of adrenaline? This will fit right in.
Album art
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