Ethereal Tomb

Six years after the release of the self-titled EP which also split the band until now, the Ethereal Tomb has been found and the Nocturnus ship has finally landed, in this abandoned graveyard of a planet. I like to look at the band's discography in a conceptual matter, as in this third attempt it's based more inside a habitable planet rather than the space themes we all know and love, it quite tells a story here: The Key was the beginning, Thresholds was the sequel, and Ethereal Tomb ends the trilogy (the EP is just a spin-off and not canon).

Emo Mowery, who plays bass and joined the band to release said EP assumed command of the vocals on this record. Surprisingly, he didn't do bad. He sounds way different by using more growls and even cleanly sings in some parts in the album, and his voice captures the atmosphere of this album very well. That being said, this album is also VERY different, judging by the sound; the keyboards, the guitars - and the overall music is unfamiliar, that if this album was released under a different band name it would've been a lot more different. Then again, as progressive as the band is, I didn't see this as a problem, although it could've used more work.

I don't think you could ask for a better atmospheric track than Orbital Decay. It already glimpses to us the different sound, the keyboards are on fucking point, and the tone is great! My favorite part is the bridge, which sounds like a good retro video game. The Killing sounds like something that'd fit in The Key. It's heavy, interesting and experimentally done right. Paranormal States is haunting and slowly crushing your soul, with the operatic vocals, eclectic guitar solos, and the background keyboards are nailing it as well.

Apostle of Evil didn't really offer anything, as it sounded as standard as other death metal songs can sound, which doesn't fit Nocturnus. The chorus sounded good but otherwise repetitive. Edge of Darkness, while also sounds like a retro video game music, perfectly fits into a main menu. But jokes aside, its feel makes you walk through that graveyard of a planet. It's slow, yet experimental and also has clean vocals. It's not a bad track by any means, thought atmospherically it's lacking. Search for the Trident, being the longest track on the album, starts with a gloomy synthesizer, shifting into a Rush-like guitar riffs; smooth, easy, and beautiful. However, as the actual song started... it was all forgotten. The Science of Horror was just too damn repetitive and standard...

This album is a hit or miss to some listeners, like myself. It had good vibes and it hit the wall here and there, but more than half of its offering didn't. This comes down to bold experimentation which I don't think was considered as a reformation, and only a handful of songs actually nailed it, like Orbital Decay, The Killing, and Paranormal States. These three were done right in terms of the sound the band had originally developed but upgraded it as well.