Nocturnus

The first Nocturnus demo offers insight into the band at their youngest and most obscure. Mike Browning is the only person here that lasted long enough to record "The Key". This early line-up was completed by Richard Bateman (who would join Nasty Savage), Vincent Crowley (who formed Acheron), and guitarist Gino Marino. The latter was simultaneously playing alongside Browning in another early death metal band called Incubus (from Atlanta, not the more famous Louisiana thrash band), and Browning was also drumming for Morbid Angel too. I’m sure it was complicated playing in all these nascent death metal bands simultaneously, and something had to give. Browning would choose Nocturnus, but there are plenty of similarities between this demo and the contemporary recordings by Incubus and Morbid Angel.

This is primitive but expressive, semi-technical, thrashy, American-style death metal that takes influence from Slayer, Dark Angel and Possessed (and probably from Atheist/R.A.V.A.G.E. too). The manic solos and warping, complex song structures are all present (think "Hell Awaits”). The music is more elaborate, if less crushing, than anything on a contemporary Paul Speckmann record, with the links to punk/hardcore being less direct than in the European death metal scene. Browning’s vocals are raspier than on subsequent Nocturnus recordings. There is plenty of supernatural evil, but none of the keyboards or science fiction themes that would soon characterise the band (both of which appeared on the next demo, "The Science of Horror").

All four songs are decent. Browning has always been a charismatic and thoughtful drummer, developing the songs around his percussion (giving Nocturnus a different feel to many of their guitar-led contemporaries). The best song here, "BC/AD", should be familiar to anyone with a casual interest in the band. This song was re-recorded on the second demo, and then again for the debut album. This early, primitive version is the weakest of the three (of course), but it is still a crushing early death metal anthem that echoes what was to come. By contrast, a track like "The Entity" is less developed, being thrashier and faster, foreshadowing the manic energy of later songs like "Standing in Blood".

The production is bad if not disastrous. It sounds lighter and less ballsy than the Incubus demo from the same period, but at least it captures the band’s tightness and playing abilities. Admittedly, it sounds tame compared to the full-bodied power of "The Science of Horror" (recorded one year later). You should listen to that demo first if you have never heard it before, but remember to backtrack here afterwards, because this demo contains a couple of old songs that exist nowhere else. There is enough here to demonstrate why Nocturnus were one of the most intriguing death metal bands of the time.

I've recently been getting into this band so excuse me if I get anything wrong. I believe that my favorite song off of this demo would have to be BC/AD. Mike Browning's delivery with the vocal effects in the beginning are great. It gives you almost a psychedelic feeling to the song. After that throughout the song the vocal delivery and guitar work is perfect, it's an amazing amount of gritty as well as clean/polished. The drums in this song just sound like cannons firing, you can't help but to move your whole body while listening to it. I love the shredding ending of this song, again that guitar work is just peak. Early Nocturnus gives me almost a blackened death metal vibe from the vocals/lyrics.

The Entity is the next track which I actually think could use some work. It's pretty catchy but was just corny lyric-wise. Though it was a very short song, barely even noticeable on the demo. Last song on this demo is Unholy Fury and yes it does feel unholy. It's just a 6 minute song of pure hatred and evil. A lot of the drum work is blast beats but it also plays around with the instruments sometimes. The guitars are eerie sounding the whole entire song, like you're in a forest running away from some creature. The bass is pretty light on this song like this whole album, it's not noticeable at all unless you try to look for it.

Nocturnus Demo 87' is a great place to start if you want to get into Nocturnus. It's a look into their earlier work before works like "The Key."