NOCTURNUS

The way of transition

Huh! First death metal band on the world, that connected the brutal guitar riffs with the passages of keyboards, taking the listeners by the albums “The Key” or “Thresholds” into the dimension of mysteries and cosmic magic died already two times and returned to the world of the living. Who could to suppose, that one of the old-time American monsters will rise again? In principle nobody of you should to be especially surprised, cause the last time all of those engraved hordes are reforming themselves, sowing like in the past years much of terror and violence. But as a matter of fact, here that’s a something strange situation. Of course, NOCTURNUS came back again, although in a little bit of original form and with a quite original repertoire, playing this autumn during the European tour, named “The Lost Key Is Back”. Mike Browning, the founder and the most important link of this legendary horde, by the occasion of visit in Berlin agreed to explain me how this all looks like and how easy could be playing under one banner three different pieces of extreme, which he has naturally created by his own hand.

-So, first time welcome again, of course! NOCTURNUS is next time alive, so could you to introduce the current line-up of your band, please?
Ok., it’s myself on vocals and drums, Demian Heftel on guitar, Belial from LETHAL PRAYER is standing here as a second guitar player for this tour, Zach Elder on bass and Nocturnal on keyboards. It’s mostly the AFTER DEATH line-up.

-We have era of reunions now, cause much of old American bands like ATHEIST or MASSACRE are alive again. Now NOCTURNUS came back too, so tell me please, which kind of motivations reasoned to resurrect this band too?
Well, I guess it’s lab not really own the name, because that was stolen from me and the trademarked by the other guys but it’s not trademarked too in Europe, so I was able to take my band AFTER DEATH and come here as NOCTURNUS and do these songs, so it’s not really matter real reunion as far as with the other members, but it’s… you know. I created the band, the name and everything, so… I finally had musicians, that I talked could do NOCTURNUS songs, you know… and do good representation, so we came over here and to try do this to close it possible to the real sound of “The Key”. NOCTURNUS when every united, backing in 2000 with “Ethereal Tomb” it’s in time anything liked, so I wanted to try to do something with this situation to right musician to be all to do it, you know, we came over as NOCTURNUS and we did some AFTER DEATH songs and some of MORBID ANGEL too.

-NOCTURNUS is a band from the old league, the most of young metal fans doesn’t know NOCTURNUS and your music. Don’t you think, that’s a little bit a risk to return again in the times of nu-metal or the other of modern music trends?
Well, for me – I am not really worried about the other people. I do what I like to do, so you know we’d to do on show like this, where there’s not a lot of people, but we have played too the shows like in London with 400 – 500 people. It doesn’t matter to me as a lot of people like what I do or not, I just do what I wanna do and that’s why with a reunion I wouldn’t play with the old band members that I don’t like. A lot of these bands, that do reunions are again on stage and the people: “Hey, just because to make money other”. I could to make a more money if I was with original band members, but I didn’t want to do that, because I wouldn’t do anything for money. You know, I am here, because I wanna do what I am doing.

-Tell me please, how many times NOCTURNUS had invaded Europe? As far as I know, it was a tour with BOLT THROWER and UNLEASHED in 1991, but as I was then 11, I couldn’t to take a part in this undertaking, so forgive me. Have you been yet in Europe after that maybe?
Well, we did “Thresholds Tour” in 1992 with CONFESSOR and then now, so we have been here three times with me.

-People, who are surfing in internet, can’t to find your regular website. I have seen only a MySpace profile with not actual informations, so if you are alive again, maybe would be possible to start with a new regular website?
Well, we have again to do with trademark situation, because I don’t only the name of NOCTURNUS in United States, so I can’t. In United States I can’t to do really another things with NOCTURNUS, so but here in Europe I can. So, AFTER DEATH is really the main situation, a band where I can to direct people too and we can say that really AFTER DEATH is doing NOCTURNUS songs, but when you see it, it’s going sound like NOCTURNUS.

-My previous question wasn’t coincidental, cause much of bands, which owns MySpace profiles, are putting there a piece of their regular or new stuff. Have you got maybe ready a new songs and if yes, could you to tell, which of shape will have the eventual new NOCTURNUS stuff?
Well, that’s the same situation like with the name, I can’t really use it for anything other than touring over here. So that’s why we have AFTER DEATH. AFTER DEATH has got a CD out, but it’s not really full-length album, but just really only a collection of demos. We have a lot of new songs and we are just looking for the right label, because I don’t wanna be in label that owns us, you know what I mean… I wanna be in a label, that works with us, not that tells us when and what we can do, you know what I mean… I want to do something that gives to us a lot of freedom. And again being the AFTER DEATH mainman and being NOCTURNUS ex-member I am not legally able to, so record in this way.