NOCTURNUS, VIOLATED, PUNISH, SLITHER...

The lost key is back

26.10.2008 Berlin (GER)

Goddamn! When I saw this info first time at the end of May on the flyer of K 17 club, I couldn’t believe to my own eyes. NOCTURNUS is alive again? No, it’s impossible, it absolutely can’t to be… More easy would be for me to believe that Kim Kardashian or Laura Lee wants to meet with me for a blind date (sure, that I would like to have both of them for a one time, he, he!), than accept the fact, about I have written above. But another way – why not? We have the era of reunions, which still keeps the form, so what’s strange within, that another hero of American brutality woke up after few years of deep slumber? Nothing.

Checking regular the website of K 17 so closer as the date of the event had to come, I have confirmed myself in the convince, that’s no joke or stupid rumours in this information, so what could I do in this fall? Only count the days to the gig of old Floridian gods, who by the masterpieces like “The Key” or “Thresholds” shaped my extreme individuality, infecting my blood with the love to untypical death metal and letting me to understand the other dimension of this music, that can to describe by the following words: magic, occultism, cosmic power and something, what can’t to be named with the words, but surely is very, very beautiful…

Arriving to the venue known to me like my own pocket, I was those evening something afraid. Of course, I can’t to admit that the reason was the darkness, that has fallen earlier than to this time (a change of time from East European into Central European mean time), but the emptiness in front of the gates, although the moment of the opening had soon to follow. Better I have felt myself seeing soon the first maniacs of extreme impressions, but the number of them, still not so high as it should to be, reasoned my very serious doubts regards of happening the event. Shit, it would be so big pity to cancel this kind of sound ritual! Finally, when the door was opened and the next admirers of old American death metal classics came inside, the big relief filled my heart and soul. The most of attendance, that came those day to the K 17 club were of course the people of old generation, remembering probably yet the golden times of announced for this evening headliner. Seeing the persons, filling lazy the main part of K 17 complex I had no expectations regards the high number of visitors, cause almost 40 lost souls, who bought the tickets and gathered themselves in front of the stage in the culminant moment, were the best witness of small interesting with old resurrected hordes (vide MASSACRE in October last year). Nothing strange, it’s very difficult to await the storm of minds by the young people listening the modern and very often – commercial arts of heavy playing. It’s really good, that although those, who came the same like me, confirmed their respect for the classics and spending their time surely with pleasure.

So, as we can say with the words of the most beautiful language of this world, namely with Latin words – ad rem. Forgive me, that about the groups supporting the Floridian legend I will write shortly, but suppose, that most all of you knows about them the same as I know. All of them presents for this moment a status of very deep underground, so nothing strange, that the reaction of the audience observing their undertakings rather from the distance was very similar like mine. The first band playing those evening, named as MEM(O)RIAL comes from Denmark and presented something, that can to be classified as the mix of thrash/ death with groove influences, but there was no revelation or pleasure of listening within. The same I can to say about the Swedish SLITHER performing the melodic kind of death metal, although the singer of this band has a really good voice and who knows – maybe in future the boys will reach a lot of successes? Everything’s possible. Being sincerely, barely the next band reasoned by me a few positive impressions, but only that’s why, cause their stuff (of course, death metal), more brutal and more intensive than all of sounds presenting by the previous bands was something closer to my senses. As I have good recognized, PUNISH was the band from Germany, although this fact has no meaning in this case. As the participant No. 4 and the same – the last support, preparing all of us for the sentimental journey through the world of mysteries and brutality – VIOLATED. The name and music – completely unknown to me, but I guess, that the band exists no longer than 2 years, cause five of Swedish teenagers, performing death metal with keyboards, influenced hardly by early undertakings of IN FLAMES or SOILWORK, presents yet the skills, which must to be yet improved. I wish it to them from whole my heart, but now I must finally to concentrate myself on the moment, so much awaited by me and then finally realized.

Ladies and gentlemen (or maybe meine Damen und Herren, because I still live in Germany, he, he!) – the lost key is back, so welcome NOCTURNUS again! It’s unbelievable but true, that the masters of death metal brutality, who revolutionized this art at the beginning of 90’s, proving to everybody, that the keyboards using in the extreme music mustn’t to make it soften, are with us again, playing even with his father, creator and the most important person, responsible for entirety of dark essence of this horde – Mike Browning. In due of history known to all of you, namely the trademark of logo and the other kinds of rights done in background by the part of past members, that’s not the same NOCTURNUS like in the past of course, but the clever solution, guaranteeing to play under this banner the old stuff of NOCTURNUS on the European territory, allowed to Mike come here and make happy all of his fans, remembering yet the times, when the group was walking with a bloody path of massacre, done by the pieces of cult like “The Key” or “Thresholds”, both monumental albums mentioned by me already in the first sentences of this report. Except of legendary drummer, being of course still the central part of this untypical reformed band, the rest of line-up creates today three musicians of AFTER DEATH: Demian Heftel (guitar), Zach Elder (bass) and Nocturnal (keyboards), supporting additionally by Belial of LETHAL PRAYER as the second guitar player. Yet before the show I have let myself to speak a some with the nice mainman of this legendary American horde, who explained me, that the new image of NOCTURNUS that’s as a matter of fact nothing more than… AFTER DEATH playing the NOCTURNUS stuff. Ah, that’s however unimportant now, cause the power and magic of sound, created by the hand of Mike Browning is almighty under every of names, so let to start the show! The ritual was began by “Lake Of Fire” from the classic debut album. Continuing this path, we have heard in the next order the another hymns of “The Key” masterpiece like “Standing In Blood”, “Neolithic” and “Undead Journey” (my favourite song of this album!). Shit, it’s simply unbelievable what can to do this shortish singing drummer with his percussion, playing so cracked-up and crippled passages, screaming yet additionally the verses all of lyrics, that he created! Madness, nothing more! OK, now a small change. Some of stylistic and some of other kind of change, cause compliancing the plan about Mr. Browning told me, now a few songs of AFTER DEATH – “Lords Of The Black Path” and “The Secret Cycle”. Something others, but sounding so good, that the difference between this repertoire and the stuff of Browning’s mother band was almost invisible.

The lost key is back, so as the next compositions two songs from this album: “Droid Sector” and “Destroying The Manger”. Wonderful! Awaiting the other impressions, I have expected myself a some of stuff from “Thresholds”, cause that’s quite good album, but instead of it the same like all listeners gathered those evening in front of the stage, I have heard the next song of AFTER DEATH – “As Below So Above” (I am very curious, or is maybe Nergal inspired by Mike Browning’s creation or is it maybe inversely, ha, ha?). A few minutes after everything has shown, that the time of the end approaches by the big steps, cause Mike announced the last song of the evening. But who will tell me, that’s not a powerful hymn of NOCTURNUS, smashing and crushing everything around not only by the music, but by the words too? Yes – “BC/AD” as the final point of this marathon of death!!! Performed bravely not only by the Americans, but with the supports of musicians from all of bands, that played before. Singing with them personally the immortal verses “Before Christ I ruled the land/ After death I will rule once again” I have fallen myself into the deepest ecstasy, he, he! Time is over. Sad but true. But… maybe not yet? The asking of Mike or want we more is a very rhetoric question. Sure!!! As the bonuses the special surprise. Who remember in which band has began his career the main hero of this evening? MORBID ANGEL, there’s still no doubt! “Angel Of Disease” and “Chapel Of Ghouls” reminds very perfectly about the roots of Browning. “The Star Chamber Of Isis” from AFTER DEATH repertoire was the next, but unfortunately the last song which everybody could to hear, but I hope that a small attendance, taking a part in Berliner concert of re-united NOCTURNUS tour, kept only the positive impressions. I can only admit, that my decision about visiting those Sunday evening the walls of K 17, standing face to face with the one of old US legends, was something, that I won’t regret for a long, long time.