Noctalis : Weinfest
Band Name
Noctalis
Album Name
Weinfest
Type
Demo
Released date
2009
Labels
Self-Released
Music StyleFolk black
Members owning this album1
Review @ Morkedark
“Hallo! We’re five friends from Essen, Germany, and we enjoy listening to Metal and going out to Bierhalls where we listen to traditional drinking songs! Our CD collection consists of bands such as Trollfest, Finntroll and Korpiklaani. We thought it a good idea to mix them all together and form a band so we can have fun! Prost!”
This could be Noctalis’ CV in few words. ‘Weinfest’ is their first demo and comprises five songs and an Intro. Their main influences can be traced to Folk Black Metal bands, such as the aforementioned ones, which lie at the “happier” festive corners of the genre; as opposed to the epic folk of Bathory and Graveland. Their musical proposal tries to mix Black Metal vocals and riffs -playing traditional themes- with keyboards that simulate folk instruments and melodies. It’s nothing innovative, and it’s not treated as such, as quite a few bands have done this before and are still doing it. So, where is Noctalis standing in this sub-genre with this release? I can’t really say that I was enraptured by this demo as there are weaknesses that are made obvious from the start. First of all, the production is awful. OK, not everyone has the ability to record in prestigious studios, but there aren’t many excuses for a 2009 demo to sound worse than a 1995 one! The two-guitars’ sound, in particular, lacks the strength needed to balance the keyboard melodies. They sound like coming out of a 15-years old PC. The same applies to the keys, which sound like coming out of a Video-game. The drumming is also, somewhat flat, and in times monotonous. A better production and a Metal-orientated mix is a must, in case the band wishes to go any further.
On the other hand, the band seems (or, better, sounds!) to enjoy what they’re doing and their music, although heard –oh, so- many times before, is not bad. The songs have changes, Metal riffs and a few solos succeed folk key breaks, and the Black Metal screams are interfused with guttural roars. There are some rain and Nature FX every now and then, and the whole structure is dominated by clichés. Not that this is a negative aspect, of course! I had, indeed, fun listening to ‘Weinfest’, but in a sense that I am presented with something that sounds to have been made with zest. It is up-tempo, Troll-gathering music and you can whistle its simplistic melodies. Its objective negative moments though, won’t allow me to rate it higher.
Bearing in mind that these are their first steps, I hope that they’ll improve quite a few things in the future, so to make their jolly sounds be heard by more beer-holding metallers around the forests of the World!
13/20
This could be Noctalis’ CV in few words. ‘Weinfest’ is their first demo and comprises five songs and an Intro. Their main influences can be traced to Folk Black Metal bands, such as the aforementioned ones, which lie at the “happier” festive corners of the genre; as opposed to the epic folk of Bathory and Graveland. Their musical proposal tries to mix Black Metal vocals and riffs -playing traditional themes- with keyboards that simulate folk instruments and melodies. It’s nothing innovative, and it’s not treated as such, as quite a few bands have done this before and are still doing it. So, where is Noctalis standing in this sub-genre with this release? I can’t really say that I was enraptured by this demo as there are weaknesses that are made obvious from the start. First of all, the production is awful. OK, not everyone has the ability to record in prestigious studios, but there aren’t many excuses for a 2009 demo to sound worse than a 1995 one! The two-guitars’ sound, in particular, lacks the strength needed to balance the keyboard melodies. They sound like coming out of a 15-years old PC. The same applies to the keys, which sound like coming out of a Video-game. The drumming is also, somewhat flat, and in times monotonous. A better production and a Metal-orientated mix is a must, in case the band wishes to go any further.
On the other hand, the band seems (or, better, sounds!) to enjoy what they’re doing and their music, although heard –oh, so- many times before, is not bad. The songs have changes, Metal riffs and a few solos succeed folk key breaks, and the Black Metal screams are interfused with guttural roars. There are some rain and Nature FX every now and then, and the whole structure is dominated by clichés. Not that this is a negative aspect, of course! I had, indeed, fun listening to ‘Weinfest’, but in a sense that I am presented with something that sounds to have been made with zest. It is up-tempo, Troll-gathering music and you can whistle its simplistic melodies. Its objective negative moments though, won’t allow me to rate it higher.
Bearing in mind that these are their first steps, I hope that they’ll improve quite a few things in the future, so to make their jolly sounds be heard by more beer-holding metallers around the forests of the World!
13/20
/Mondfest (Demo).jpg "Noctalis : Mondfest (Demo)")
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