Nuctemeron – Demonic Sceptre (Beautifully Tacky Satanic Speed Thrash)
I simply adore bands that so visibly lean into Satanic and demonic themes, but it has to be done in a certain way, almost a self-deferential lack of care. Frills required. Such as spikes fashioned into upside-down crosses, photographs in cemeteries with a bit of blasphemy, fire, skulls (plastic, of course), so yes Germany’s Nuctemeron has it all! There’s a whole pipeline of bands like this, but without that attitude, without that shameless worship of the Devil as an object of kitsch, it just won’t work! We’re not terrified, those days are gone, we want to revel in the tackiness!
Nuctemeron’s latest dedication to corrupting the youth, Demonic Sceptre, fashions Satanic metal might with aggression and savagery. If one compares this latest to earlier releases, the production quality is noticeably meticulous with its clarity. Riffing cuts the through air like flashes of fire on steel, which easily connects the listener to what the band’s about. Calls for everything from burning one’s flesh into a leather substitute to just plain, old “fuck off,” ring loud and clear as the music leads the charge. There’s also a slightly more noticeable element of speed in Demonic Sceptre, mixing in heavy metal groove tinged with the occult. Dynamically charged, this is Satanism polished and explosive, but thoroughly rough.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Nuctemeron – Demonic Sceptre
I Hate Records
Cover Art: Sebastián Frigerio
4.7 / 5
