Atrium Noctis - S/T Review

To listen to is a trip to many Metal styles. From Heavy Metal to Extreme Metal ans also from the subgenres of Metal music as Symphonic and Folk. In each track the bands delivers a surprise for the fan. Moreover, “Atrium Noctis” is also a trip through feelings as the songs bring many emotions to fans. A very different album from 2018’s “Aeterni” reviewed here. This album is darker with more musical variations. The thing that remains is the big taste of the band to nice and pretty acoustic songs. Now it’s the time to “RIP III” a touching acoustic guitar tune that leads to the grand finale with “Spuren eines Wolfes.” Another feature that is also present here is also the big taste for the keyboards however now they don’t have that Casio sound that sounded a bit akward. As the fan might have noticed the band mixes languages as well. Wouldn’t it be really great if bands had each song in the language they fit better? I guess it would be awesome. Just a thought.

“Atrium Noctis” is the fifth album in Atrium Noctis twenty-year old career. The average of an album in four years. Too few or too many? Sign of the times or the band likes this way? Well, in terms of a Black Metal band it’s for us mere mortals to understand. Each Black Metal band in this sad and lonely and pathetic little world is in a crusade. They have their values. I respect them. There is just a little detail and the devil is on the details – no, no pun intended. To the best of my knowledge Atrium Noctis’s music isn’t pure Black Metal. As I said before it’s a hodge podge of Extreme Metal features where Black Metal stands out. Songs like “Snow on thy Epitaph” explores the existing contrast in life as the sweet and pure with the dark and unpure. It begins with a soft wind sound that suddenly burst into a Black metal carnage with the blasting guitars and shrieking vocals. However in the middle of all this there is a gentle keyboard to break all the chaos and mayhem the band delivers. That’s the main idea the drives the album. The existing contrasts of life itself. The same song flows to a Ozzy’s driven keyboard by the fourth minute in order to emphasize even more the idea. Also the guitars explore the idea of contrast being at the same time kind and explosive. Not to forget the theatrical mood that following eleven minute track “Azael” brings as an intro that will have the same path exploring the existing contrasts. If the fan listens to all album carefully this impression will get stronger as the band introduces female vocals as well in this song. There is some Progressive Rock feeling in this part. Something as Renaissance meet Black Sabbath.

“Atrium Noctis” proves me right when I say that Extreme Metal has turned into the best expression of life itself while dosing into the songs emotions like anger, wrath, decpetion, lonelyness, fear, despair, and many others. Well, point to the bands not to me. I’m only telling a story here.

Atrium Noctis “Atrium Noctis” will be independently released on February 22th.

Track Listing: