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Eyes of Noctum > Inceptum > Reviews
Eyes of Noctum - Inceptum

Symphonic black metal, courtesy of Cages' son - 94%

dragoth, June 17th, 2013

If I said to you that this band was formed by the son of the ghost rider Nicholas Cage, your reaction would likely be the same as mine when I first heard; 'What the f**k????' all of the pieces for a horriying collapse are in place; son of an actor forming a symphonic black metal band, you expect disaster to follow. But fear not, Eyes of Noctum have pulled of a decent symphonic black metal album.

Most importantly, Weston Cage, going by the stage name Arcane, vocalist for this endeavour, is very, very good. He has a powerful roar of a voice that can range from a deep seated growl to a high screech reminiscent of Dani Filth in his glory days. The vocals follow the lines of the music very well, coming across as more melodic than standard black metal vocals, a good example of this can be found on Devils Wind. His cleans as well, though rarely employed are deep, melodic and definitely unexpected considering the source, Phantasma Nocturna and God's Second Hand show of the cleans well. Though he possesses a powerful range, he unfortunately doesn't exercise it enough I find, though it doesn't draw much from the album, it would of been great to here the range more utilised. His lyrics, whilst nothing ground breaking for the genre, mainly dealing with anti-Christianity and war, are at least not at cringe worthy as other bands, and fit the sound the band create well. As the main source of criticism for this band, it is wholly by the looks of things, uncalled for.

The symphonic aspect, an orchestra that is employed on the album, is used well, adding an extra dimension to the music, making it more grand and full, backing up the music, used often as intros or in breaks, but never drawing attention from the band or interfering with the sound. In some songs it is not used at all, in others it is a big part, such as in Declaration of War but it never sounds out of place, like in some Dimmu Borgir or Cradle of Filth where the orchestration can become overwhelming. The band has clearly drawn influences from 90s black metal bands, such as Emperor, Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth and it has helped shape the sound of this band well.

In terms of actual instrumentation, nothing on here is going to shock, whilst each member is clearly proficient with their instrument of choice, there is nothing fancy at work here, the riffs are powerful and employ a range, from standard power chords, to fast tremolo picking, but nothing flowery or overtly technical is used. The same goes with the drums, some decent patterns are used, and the double bass pedal is used excellently and reaches some decent paces, but the drummer is no Inferno, and won't win any medals.

This is a very good record, this band has received a lot of hate for the presence of Weston amongst their midst, and it is rather undeserved, he has provided excellent vocals to an excellent black metal album, it is a great shame that this will be their only album, but for anyone into symphonic black metal, this is a must have.

Recommended Tracks:
Eyes of Noctum
Devil's Wind
Thy Fire Within
Venomous Desire
Garden of Temptation

(Review first appeared http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/57455/Eyes-of-Noctum-Inceptum/ )

I honestly thought this was going to suck. . . - 97%

MalignantTyrant, July 12th, 2012

I really thought that this album would blow horribly; I truly did. I had heard that the Ghost Rider parody himself Nick Cage had a son that was the band's frontman, I heard that the band sounded like Cradle of Filth mixed with Dimmu Borgir. All of the signs were there that this would be horrible. . . but it wasn't. I listened to this with much prejudice and apprehension initially, but halfway through the album I realized that this was pretty fucking good considering what genre it is. It isn't really too original, but it is definitely more that just some shitty symphonic black metal album. I'd dare even say that this album shits all over the last 3 Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth releases.

First thing that I have to comment on is Ghost Rider's son, Weston Cage/Arcane. He is a damn good vocalist for sure. He can shriek like a banshee, he can grunt like a demon and, surprisingly, he can sing pretty damn well. The first time I heard the clean vocals I was quite impressed; they didn't sound whiny or cheesy, they were very melodic and he definitely has a good vocal range. His singing on Phantasma Nocturna reminded me of Jason Mendonca from Akercocke if he got his shit together (not that he's a bad vocalist). I can only imagine how much he has improved now, and if they release a new album it'll definitely be worth checking out.

The music itself, again, isn't exactly the most original stuff, but it is good at what it does. The Cradle of Filth influence thankfully isn't from their later period and sounds more like Damnation and a Day or Midian than Thornography or Godspeed. The Dimmu Borgir influences are more apparent and sounds like something from Puritanical or Death Cult Armageddon. But, like I said, this music shits all over everything the two bands mentioned have done in recent years. Despite the lack of originality, the band definitely sounds more inspired than their tired and decrepit influences. There are also a few guest appearances from notable black metal musicians here, so I'd check those songs out specifically if not the whole album.

This album is definitely staying on my iTunes for a while if not forever because it is a breath of fresh air when it comes to symphonic black metal. I heard that they were supposed to have an album out soon, which I am looking forward to. I think that this band and Carach Angren inject life into a dead and tired genre of black metal. I look forward to this band's future for sure.

Not what you think. - 96%

Necropolism, March 15th, 2010

Eyes of Noctum is a band that has a terrible reputation. This band has been put down because of the vocalist, Weston Cage, who is the son of actor Nicolas Cage. Apparently this band 'ist not krieg.' I'm here to enforce otherwise.

Their sound is very symphonic, prominent with orchestral sounding keyboards. If you’re looking for ‘necro’ you’re looking in the wrong place. The production is crisp and full, which I'm sure we have Nicholas Cage to thank for. Weston has some vocal range, from high pitched screeches to grim growls, this guy has got talent. The guitar riffs are catchy and well composed. The sound of the guitars themselves are full-bodied and resonant. The bass line is audible and full at that, and backs the guitars perfectly. Each song has a hook you won’t forget. The drumming goes from mid-paced beats, to machine-gun blast beat drumming, with some guest appearances from Hell Hammer, who delivers as usual.

Eyes of Noctum is heavily influenced by 90s symphonic black metal bands, such as Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth and Emperor. This band is not your normal boring clone, they create fantastic catchy symphonic black metal. There are keyboards on every track, emulating the sound from a pipe organs to a harpsichord. You have to give this album a second listen to hear all the layers of sound. I wish people would look past the whole Nicolas Cage bit, and give this band a fair shot.

So, why didn't I give this 100? Weston's vocal performances. Don't get me wrong, he is some vocalist, but apart the occasional Dani Filth type screech, he doesn't mix up his growls much, rather monotonous. Me being a symphonic black metal fan, I would have liked to see a bit more

All in all, there is no denying Inceptum is an impressive and exciting debut. I look forward to what they will come up with next. If you're a fan of symphonic black metal, give this band a shot.