NOCTURNAL BREED – Carry the Beast

I have had a soft spot for these ugly and noisy thrash metal bastards from Norway ever since I saw them lay waste to the John Dee venue in Oslo in March 2005, and Nocturnal Breed rarely disappoint when it comes to unleashing malevolent and sinister tunes that deliver a blow to the skull and are riddled with an evil atmosphere.

This upcoming musical grenade of theirs entitled Carry the Beast is no exception to the abovementioned rule, but it might in fact be the most interesting and dynamic entry in their catalog yet, which has to do with the dark and nasty aura of the album being as prominent and pronounced as it is. The cursed affair simply comes across as more captivating, creative, and all-out solid than its predecessors, and I seriously dig its brooding, horror-filled moments such as ‘Atomic Cruiser’, ‘Nosferata’, and ‘Lady Vampire’. Make no mistake, though; these twisted fucks still churn out blackened speed/thrash metal juggernauts that are as magnificently raw, harsh, and vicious as ever – just with more depth and pulling power than before. As to highlights, the epic and rumbling ‘Knights of Denim’ is a 9-minute feast that will fry whatever is left of your brain, and the gloomy bonus track named ‘I Felt Nothing’ is one of their most cryptic and brilliant compositions yet. Add this vile opus to your list of records to check out.