Thresholds

Just where do you go after such an intense album as The Key? Nocturnus could have just as easily gone and done another hi-tech(nicality) album, and bumped it up another 20 or 30 BPM, but instead they brought us Thresholds. What else would you do to rightfully hold the title of "progressive death metal?"

The progressive term here is at times misleading--though we do have face melting guitar solos and some cool drumming, there is a clear injection of groove and simplifying of riffs going on here, which makes Thresholds a lot easier to digest than its predecessor. But that in turn robs it of the brutality and overwhelming nature that made The Key so damn heavy (even with shitty bass). The open string grooves on "Climate Controller" or the straight forward main thrash riffs of "Arctic Crypt" and "Alter Reality" are, however, super catchy and will get your head banging. There's much more atmosphere here, as evidenced by "Nocturne in Bm," which is perhaps due to keyboardist Lou Panzer having more input, and works wonders to enhance the "spacey" vibe. Song structures, as well, are simplified, and rather than confounding mazes of tunnels in the bowels of spaceships, you have more predictable verse-chorus songs with more repetition.

The riffs themselves have more of a thrash feel, and it's not until "Gridzone" that you hear some quasi-Possessed riffing and blast beats that Thresholds can truly call itself death metal. Luckily, the thrash here is more in line with bands like Demolition Hammer or Morbid Saint than Anthrax, so it does have an edge to it--it's just layered over with flashy guitar work and alien synths. I don't know who played bass on here, but its a clear improvement on Jeff Estes' shitty, shitty bass on The Key, and even shines in a few places like the choruses of "Arctic Crypt."

And on the note of Possessed, The Key and Thresholds are very much like Seven Churches and Beyond the Gates in their stylistic changes as well as problems with production and mixing. This music would benefit immensely from a remix that makes it less of a muddy mess.

Sean McNenney and Mike Davis are still tearing it up on their solos but do bring in a few clean moments, such as the interlude in the middle of "Arctic Crypt." Lou Panzer really shines on Thresholds, throwing various sound effects and melodies over the simplified riffs. I'm a huge fan for atmosphere, unless its some weak black metal where the riffs end up super compromised--here they are lightly compromised, edging close to puss territory but not going overboard.

Dan Izzo isn't a bad vocalist, he just isn't Mike Browning, who though far from perfect, has an iconic voice and presence behind both kit and mic. Having Browning on vocals would have knocked this up another five points. Not only do you miss the harsher vocals, but the Satanic/blasphemous lyrics of The Key certainly kept things in the death metal realm. He's no slouch on the drums though, and that gives Thresholds an added prog touch where Browning reaches for some Neil Peart fills. The tribal percussion on "Tribal Vodoun" and numerous roto tom fills show he was still growing as a drummer, the fruits of which you can hear on Nocturnus AD's superior Paradox album.

Thresholds is the album that brought Nocturnus to my radar. I heard a crappy mp3 of "Nocturne in Bm" in 1997 and scoured the earth for a copy of this on CD for about 2 years. Morbid Angel has been my favourite band since 1995, so just having Mike Browning in here was good enough. And I was already a huge fan of Pestilence and Savatage, two more bands with stellar guitar work and keys/synths that really pushed metal into weird territory. Thresholds certainly does that in its own way, but sadly doesn't quite reach the stars.

With Mike Browning’s involvement in the writing process diminishing, Nocturnus embraced a more progressive and diverse approach on Thresholds. This album eschewed many of the more thrash-oriented riffs heard on the Key in favour of technicality. This in and of itself, was not a bad thing as it allowed Nocturnus to experiment and develop as a band, and in any case not all of the old-school influenced riffs were gone. However, there does seem to be a greater emphasis placed on mid-tempo riffs such as the primary riff found on ‘Climate Controllers’ for example. This robs the music of a sense of urgency at times, but I believe the album more than makes up for it in other aspects. The diversity of ideas on display here works to its advantage, such as the tribal drumming on ‘Tribal Vodoun’, the mysterious atmosphere and terrific shredding on ‘Nocturne in Bm’ and of course the amazing melodic chorus on ‘Arctic Crypt’. Perhaps some of these songs could have be a little shorter, but for the most part the music remains interesting throughout and doesn’t lose momentum.

As with most technical death metal, the instrumentation is proficient and engaging with plenty of fun guitar runs and solos. When the bass guitar is audible, such as during the aforementioned chorus on ‘Arctic Crypt’, it is very impressive and enhances the music considerably. As always, Louis Panzer provides some great keyboard parts which complement and juxtapose the more metallic instrumentation of Mike Davis and Sean McNenney. Dan Izzo’s vocals are perfectly competent, however deviate little from the signature Browning sound. Perhaps they should have gone with someone who had a little more range or was at least noticeably different from Browning. As others have noted in Nocturnus reviews, Browning’s drumming tends to be the weak link in the band. I can’t help but feel a more technical approach is warranted, given the musical style the band opted for on this release. Nevertheless, he is a capable and steady percussionist and has only improved with time (as seen on Nocturnus AD’s recent album ‘Paradox’).

Despite some of its shortcomings, I would say Thresholds hits the mark better than the Key, especially in terms of achieving a stronger sci-fi atmosphere. However, the Key has the upper hand in the sense that it is the more headbang-able and straight forward album between the two. Worth mentioning is also the superb sci-fi cover art provided by fantasy/sci-fi legend Pete Knifton. If you enjoy technical and progressive death metal alike, I would highly recommend this album. Thresholds manages to maintain its identity without getting lost in the assortment of ideas being presented and can be a very rewarding listen if you have the time and patience.

1992 was not the best year for Mike Browning to say the least. That year, the band basically screwed him over by trademarking the band name and kicking him out of the band. However, before that happened, The band recorded their second album in 1991 titled "Thresholds", which would be released a year later. While "The Key" was a good starter in their careers, Thresholds would take the ideas presented in the debut and go even further with them.

To see what makes this album so great, we'd need to check out the instruments first. The first track "Climate Controller" once again starts off the album with an ambient piece, but this time, we hear a deep, dark voice making proclamations of various lords creating destruction. The opening is much stronger here than in the debut, as it leads the listener in with a more dark and creepy atmosphere. When the rest of the instruments kick in, however, this is where things get crazy. The guitar riffs still maintain a similar sound from "The Key", but this time, the technical parts are more faster, complex, and composed better. The balance of the technical riffs and OSDM sound is perfectly balanced here, and mixes well with the other instruments. The drums are also just as good, with its blastbeats being more powerful and flowing well with the guitars even better. The bass has even seen some major improvement, being less sloppy and more rigid in structure. The overall atmosphere still maintains that spacey theme, but since there's better execution of the instrumentals, its atmosphere is more fleshed out and better. While "Climate Controller" is a powerful track, other tracks like "Arctic Crypt" and especially "Aquatica" are just as strong with their technical execution. The mix of tech-death and OSDM is more balanced overall, and in turn, makes the execution of the instrumentals feel stronger.

As for the vocals, they're also majorly improved on. The vocals were done by Dan Izzo this time, and he's clearly a much better vocalist than Mike. His voice is more deeper, and does have a more powerful personality. This is particularly the case in the next track "Tribal Vodoun", which adds in some tribal influences. Dan's deep growls flows well with the fast chaotic riffs and the groovy ritualistic drumming, and further enhances the story about a ritual sacrifice. When compared to Mike's vocals in the previous album, Dan basically blows the latter out of the water with his angrier personality and wild demeaner.

Even the lyrics are fantastic. Like the instrumentals and vocals, they've gotten better, and the songwriting here especially fits to the more technical-orientated riffs. Take the lyrics to "Subterranean Infiltrator" for example, where this verse quotes:

Agent of espionage
Bearing north of the peninsular
Invitation to lay clear
Think - over - the strategy

This verse is about an agent going through to infiltrate the space base. The structure of the lyrics are more descriptive and technical in writing, so the story presented is more presentable and thorough when it comes to the styling and structure. Furthermore, these lyrics are perfect with the instrumentals and vocals, as the technical riffs do enhance the complex operation, and Dan's chanting and growling further adding into the intensity of the mission. That, plus some themes on Necronomicon and the occult, and these lyrics are overall better than on the previous record.

While many fans of Nocturnus do prefer their debut, I actually think the second album is their best release. The more technical riffing is done well with the OSDM mix, Dan's vocals are a massive improvement when compared to Mike's lousy voice, and the lyrics take on more themes with a better writing style. This album was the last Nocturnus album Mike Browning was involved in before being booted off the project, but it would've been interesting to see what their next albums would've been like had Mike stayed. For now, though, this is easily the best album from Nocturnus, and it is an album I absolutely recommend.

I've always been surprised by the amount of death metal fans who don't like the second album by the legendary American death metal band Nocturnus, it's true that the bar was set incredibly high since "The Key" is easily one of the best albums of the early scene, and it's also true that in some aspects Thresholds was a step backwards compared to the debut, but in others it's a clear improvement.

If I had to sum it up briefly I would say that "The Key" is a more complete album that works better when it is exposed in its entirety, listening to it from beginning to end in order to appreciate its full impact and possibilities, Thresholds is less balanced, it has weaker moments but it also has very very high peaks, I would even dare to say that those peaks are the best of Nocturnus' brief discography.

The level of technicality increases exponentially on this album, Mike Davis is much more unleashed and the songs are full of insanely virtuosic solos, but not only him, each instrument is simply in a kind of permanent apogee to bring out their most technical and advanced side, if you compare it with the debut you can appreciate that although this was full of technical flashes there was a control, probably Mike Browning's hand, that here seems to be missing, I don't say it's a good or bad factor in itself, the uncontrolled creativity can be beneficial or negative depending on the use that is made of it, here we have examples of those two parts, certain parts of "Climate Controller" with its exaggerated intro and its style with constant breaks, the extreme melodism in the solo of "Arctic Crypt" that seems taken from the swedish deah metal scene or the little necessary "Nocturne in B m" are some of the samples of that uncontrolled creativity. However when we see the full display of all skills integrated to perfection on tracks like "Subterranean Infiltrator" or "Aquatica".

Songs like these mentioned are the best Nocturnus have given in my opinion, both have an ambient intro followed by a spectacular performance by all the musicians, where the compositions set up a moment for each piece of the band to shine, even the vocalist has a brilliant moment in "Subterranean Infiltrator" as well as the bass player. But all of that is nothing compared to the level of the keyboards and above all, the guitars, not only the solos and the technical flashes of Mike Davis, the level of the riffs on which the songs are centred are spectacularly consistent, and they know when to use it as the main focus and when to leave room for Louis Panzer's keyboards to lead the composition when he plays. This is what makes Nocturnus' compositions on this album really interesting, I've always used this album as an example when I want to explain what happens when you take skilled musicians and they have clever songwriting.

Although the best exponent of this is to be found in the aforementioned tracks, the rest are not far behind, even without being perfect, I find precisely well timed and measured moments where the keyboard comes in at just the right moment, the percussion suddenly uses a more tribal style, and all sorts of other tricks that give the album a changing style that always has something new to offer from beginning to end.

In the end, if you think about it, it's surprising that the album saw the light of day, Mike Davis, Sean McNenney and Louis Panzer were taking more and more creative control away from Mike Browning, surely the environment wasn't the best in the world and the result of the production was a complete disaster, there are many, and rightly so, who complain about the general sound of the album, the overall tone of the album seems buried and muddy. For me personally as time goes by it bothers me less, I have heard worse productions and it is true that thanks to the sci-fi theme it seems that the sound of the guitars has a futuristic atmosphere, this will serve as an excuse for some but not for everyone of course. Although it has a few flaws, all of them in my opinion are highly outweighed by its strengths, hiding them over a halo of genius and musical excellence, elevating Thresholds to one of the best death metal albums I've ever heard and one to which I return very very often. A work of genius despite the disadvantages.

I was told in the "The Key" review that after their debut, the Nocturnus lineup started to show some serious scratches. Well, "Thresholds" is the first (but surprisingly not the last) confirmation. Bassist Jeff Estes was eliminated, and guitarists Sean McNenney and Mike Davis and keyboardist Louis Panzer began to do whatever it took to ensure that Mike Browning - the main founder of Nocturnus - ceased to be part of the band and lost the rights to the band name. It didn't work out as if the three of them wished it, and so far, on "Thresholds", only his vocal duties have been taken away from him. These were then taken over by the new vocalist Dan Izzo in the band, and despite numerous tensions and generally not very interesting atmosphere, the Americans managed to record this lp in 10 days!

At that time...there was nothing else but to wish each band such discs when they had personal problems! Musically and conceptually, "Thresholds" is a continuation of the themes from "The Key", and at the same time death metal even more interesting and with a much greater momentum. The step forward is visible on this album, for example, in terms of guitars, the use of keyboards (they reached the pinnacle in "Aquatica", perfectly imitating the "water" atmosphere), the drums parts (in "Gridzone" there are even classic blasts!) or bolder bass (Chris Anderson recorded sessions during sessions) - which is mostly what theoretically did not need to change. Well, Dan Izzo himself - even though he happens to sing on one exhale - is generally quite interesting and introduces a certain freshness against the background of - after all, very good - Browning's vocals from the previous album. In a short: everything should qualify "Thresholds" for the maximum score. Well, yes...but not really!

The biggest problem with "Thresholds" is its poor sound - especially the drums. With such complex tracks as "Climate Controller" or "Subterranean Infiltrator", you can even say at the beginning that the music has completely lost its legibility! Heh, the only thing left to do is to be glad that with subsequent auditions, "Thresholds" is only perceived better and that you can convince yourself of this production. With such gems as "Tribal Vodoun" (great "tribal" atmosphere!), "Arctic Crypt", "Alter Reality" or the above-mentioned, there could be no other option. The music on this album is such an excellent show of genius and unconventional approach to death metal on the part of Nocturnus that it's impossible to underestimate it. There was only not enough solid production for the whole this genius.

Originally on: https://subiektywnymetal.blogspot.com/2021/07/nocturnus-thresholds-1992.html

This is a cool album in many ways. The cover art is so cool that it's worth owning for that alone. It's cool that it's an early 90s death metal album with keyboards and sci-fi themes. It has a very cool atmosphere and overall aesthetic, and has some really interesting and unique sounds thrown into the mix (crashing waves, bloops and blips). It's worth checking out for these things alone. But this album has become prototypical for me of the kind of release that catches my eye (and ear), I check out once or twice on Spotify, think is cool, but don't come back to.

And that's because the music itself, while technically impressive and interesting for the aforementioned reasons, is just not that good. There are few if any of the catchy grooves, riffs and melodies that were present on The Key. It is also not particularly brutal or overwhelming (characteristics I expect many people seek in extreme metal). It's just kind of a big mush of riffs that my brain couldn't make any sense of, and not in a good way, like how I have to allow myself time to decipher a Meshuggah or Necrophagist riff that sounds like nonsense at first but then reveals itself to have a twisted structure and logic to it. Not that the riffs on Thresholds are nonsense. They just don't seem to have much of a musical sensibility behind them besides showmanship. Which isn't bad in itself, but is not pulled of here in a way that works on its face. It doesn't matter what else an album has going for it - if the music doesn't grab me in any way, why would I listen to it?

I could see this album being thrown on in the background as a sort of evil sci-fi moodsetter (while you're...I don't know...reading the Doom novels?) but a background experience is not what I think most people want out of technical death metal. I could still recommend this album in a conversation about death metal curiosities and notably strange, interesting albums. Or for some '90s cyber-horror nostalgia. I could see how it could cater to a certain taste, especially at the time it was released. Death metal can be awfully derivative and this is at least something different. But it certainly ain't one of my favs.

Second album syndrome, sophomore slump, sequelitis, whatever you want to call it. Hall of Fame death metal bands are particularly prone to this crippling disease (Entombed, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Suffocation, Dismember, Possessed could all be listed as casualties). The underlying causes are pretty obvious when you think about it. This is a type of music that thrives on youthful enthusiasm, aggression, hunger and energy. The early death metal scene was based on ideas developed organically, rehearsed endlessly and pressure-tested through demos and EPs. The debut albums that followed are the culmination of many years' graft and experimentation. Those records comprise the core of the death metal canon, second albums can rarely match them for depth.

Nocturnus suffered as badly as anyone from second album syndrome. Their debut (“The Key”) was/is a wonderful record, brimming with vitality and originality. It's an album which revels in the ridiculous, it was one of the first extreme metal albums to embrace keyboards (beyond mere atmosphere). It went further with science fiction themes than anything before it. It is a record where every risk pays off (even the decision to mute the bass in the mix). It may tread a fine line between genius and stupidity, but it has incredible kinetic energy, amazing riffs and solos, and a dark, oppressive feel. It was also really fucking extreme for the time. The band's second album ("Thresholds") had a lot to live up to, but surely no-one expected it to be as bad as it turned out. Imagine a sluggish, lacklustre version of “The Key” with boring riffs, no structure and one of the worst death metal productions ever. That's "Thresholds" in a nutshell.

I’ve barely listened to “Thresholds” in the last 20+ years. I wanted to see if my opinion had changed in writing this review. It hasn’t. This is still a piece of shit. There are occasional good ideas, the lead guitar playing is impressive from a technical standpoint (more advanced than on “The Key”). There are lots of melodic and flashy solos and some sweep picking, which was pretty rare for death metal back then. People who like this stuff might find something of worth here. Personally, flashy solos mean nothing to me without good riffs. The predominant riffing on “Thresholds” could be described as 'lifeless chugging that overstays its welcome’. The overall production is muddy and light, the absolute worst combination for death metal. The guitar tone is muffled and clipped, it sounds like someone scraping ice off their car window on a frosty morning. The bass drum is barely audible. The vocals (done by a new guy) are too quiet, giving them no power or character. The dominant keyboards sound silly without meaty riffs to work from.

The production flaws might be overlooked if the album had any energy or spark, but everything that made the “The Key” awesome is muted here. You remember those amazing, over-the-top, fast tunes which threw infinite ideas together and hoped for the best (“Lake of Fire”, “Andromeda Strain”, “Droid Sector”)? Well “Thresholds” has nothing like that. Instead we get the sound of a band going through the motions whilst the lead guitarist shows off some new techniques. Most of it is arranged around five or six minute ‘songs’ which comprise random meandering and noodling around. Take “Tribal Vodoun” for instance, some chuggy riffs merge into a bizarre scratchy section (1:11), which lasts about a minute before slowing down and speeding up (several times), then there is another long bit of chugging before a squealing solo and it ends with a sudden burp. “Aquatica” is another one which gets bogged down in chugging, solos, chugging and more solos. Most of the album follows this pattern. It is as pedestrian as one of those third-rate thrash albums from the early 90’s (say, “Exit Reality” by Asphyxia).

OK, there are a couple of (almost) highlights. “Subterranean Infiltrator” is a decent song, it builds the speed in a logical way, has a great solo and some nice riffs (like the one at 1:52). With a better production it would sound good. “Climate Controller” isn't bad, at least it has catchy vocal hooks, some slow brooding sections, and most of the riff transitions make sense (don't expect anything like "Neolithic" though). If anything, these promising moments make "Thresholds" even more frustrating to listen to.

I’m sure the band members know they fucked up here (Mike Browning is scathing about this record in interviews), but albums like this could bury a band’s career in the pre-internet era. This was actually my first exposure to Nocturnus (I bought this in a bargain bin for £1.99, several years before I heard “The Key”). For a while, my entire perception of Nocturnus was based on this. I only listened to "The Key" because some random person on an internet forum recommended it (after establishing their credentials to me by saying that "Thresholds" sucked). Therefore my advice to anyone reading this is simple: consign this album to the black hole of history and get “The Key”.

Two years after the otherworldly The Key, Thresholds merged. At what cost? Well, this album marked the band's downfall sometime later, and an unexpected change in the lineup, as well as the sound being different than The Key; didn't really capture fans' attention but perhaps not a letdown either. And off the bat, I'm liking the album cover more because it shows quite a lot than an evil character with a pentagram on the first album's cover. The downfall is explained sometime after this album's release, in a dispute between Mike and the other band members, not to mention that in this record he doesn't sing, as the band recruited Dan Izzo from Tortured Soul; another unknown death metal band, and he only performs here and in the astounding self-titled EP a year after.

I know, the title might sound ludicrous and unwarranted, but it's in the fucking music! The keyboards alone present this Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son albums. The guitars more or less resemble the same likes, only it's more technical and clearly progressive, but I'm not trying to compare a death metal band to a pioneering heavy metal band. Both entirely different and on different leagues.

The album begins with Climate Controller's one-minute of rituals, summoning creatures of darkness and initiating the climate controller. The lyrics even contain some bizarre words and a name but it surely worked, heh. As the song initially starts, it's more story-telling. It's quite slow-paced and I love the short periods of shredded guitars; ending a part of the song and beginning a new one. The song itself is pretty catchy and atmospheric, and for being the longest track (despite the one-minute speech) it doesn't bore. It also shows quite the technical skills within the band which follows throughout the album, and for being the first song behind the vocals for Dan Izzo he's done a pretty neat job. The ending of the track is very thrash-like - I guess that's another plus for fans of that genre. Nocturne in Bm is a genius instrumental track, showing off beautiful keyboards, along the fulfilling guitar riffs and melodies. Arctic Crypt, as the title suggests science and ritual themes. MAN! That song fucking rocks! The chorus is just perfect, having the keyboards blend in so well and the bass is widely technical, there's also some acoustic guitars after the second chorus. Subterranean Infiltrator, another epic track that by the sound of it resembles the way the album cover describes itself. The keyboards and guitars are spot-on. I loved the perfected occultism and evilness in Alter Reality's chorus (this song also has a music video, by the way). Deception at its very core. And Gridzone was just as good.

Now, for the weak spots I caught in this album are Tribal Vodoun and Aquatica. While Tribal Vodoun is another atmospheric track with compelling keyboards, it didn't capture the same dark essence as other tracks, and for being the second-longest track on the album it was overshadowed by its long composition. Aquatica is probably the most standard track on the album and had a good beginning, but it progressed into repetitiveness and lost its momentum. So I'd say these two are the weakest tracks on the album.

Honestly, while the sound is more matured and refined, as well as more technical, it was a risky move that paid off! I can't imagine this album with Mike's vocals (not in a bad way), so Dan did a great job on his end and the others guys delivered it for a second time, despite all altercations that later occurred. Arguably, it's better than the debut, or to simply put the best Nocturnus release. Unfortunately, as the debut is a one-time album, so is Thresholds. What comes after this album is, as I said above, the band's downfall - or even demise; to be reignited under different names and sound.

In comparison, the first two albums are very different and enjoyable on their own. But from my experience, Thresholds is more memorable for the reasons I mentioned in the paragraph above. I'm going back to this album more than The Key because of the sheer progressiveness the band innovated and how they became more creative. Subjectively, since I'm more into the science stuff than the rituals and occultism, Thresholds fulfilled that request on that regard. Best tracks are Climate Controller, Arctic Crypt, Subterranean Infiltrator, and Alter Reality.

“The Key” was “the key” to the technical/progressive death metal movement in the USA; it stood on top of great thrash/death hybridization masterpieces like Vacant Grave’s “Life or Death”, Atheist’s “Piece of Time”, Hellwitch’s “Syzygial Miscreancy”, and Incubus’ “Beyond the Unknown”. Once “the key” was found, there was no need to look for it anymore. An album like this simply happens once in a lifetime, a thought that many fans simply can’t get used to, and continue to wait for the appearance of the next “Unquestionable Presence”, the new “Deception Ignored”, or “Killing Technology 2”. Those opuses had already been made so what’s the big deal about moving on, I wonder…

when talking about distinguished follow-ups to great albums, the one reviewed here should be on the tip of every metalhead’s tongue. If I have to be very honest, I was also one of those who were secretly hoping for “The Key 2” back then, and couldn’t accept “Thresholds”’ more relaxed, more complicated character when it came out. Not until I bought the actual CD which happened quite a few years later. I found it in a shop where it was the only metal CD; the guy there had concentrated on rock, blues, psychedelia and other similar nonsenses, and had amassed a huge collection of them. During my very quick, very perfunctory perusal through a heap of CD’s, I spotted Nocturnus’ “Thresholds”! It was so fucking surreal, I thought I was mistaken initially… well, I wasn’t cause here it was, the American death metallers’ sophomore, “unwinding” in the eccentric company of Frank Zappa, The Doors, and Jefferson Airplane. Naturally the guy had no idea how it had ended up there, I guess he was misled by the cosmic concept and the “Star Wars”-like cover art, but he was more than happy to get rid of it.

So the Nocturnus team continued with their explorations of the mysteries of the Universe, only under a slightly modified musical approach. The delivery is still fairly technical, but not as flamboyant and exuberant, like the guys had decided to give more freedom to their more elaborate compositional side which comes with longer, more thought-out tracks with a more overt progressive flair. The more moderate slower riffage of “Climate Controller” already suggests at an oncoming metamorphosis, and even when the faster-paced passage hits, it comes with more restrained guitars as though the band are holding something back, not willing to reach all the way to the hyper-active parametres that were so prominent on the debut. No complaints whatsoever as said opener is a carefully crafted shredder with a lot of nuances embedded including a fever-pitch crescendo with classical overtones. Mystical Oriental atmosphere permeates “Tribal Vodoun” which lets the gorgeous melodic tunes do the talking for a start before the bass interferes followed by a virtuoso lead section, with dense technical riffs interfering for a bit this amalgam retaining the richly atmospheric overtones.

“Nocturne in B m” is a short 3-min instrumental with the leads taking the upper hand weaving beautiful tapestries in league with the keyboards which otherwise don’t play such a big role here. “Arctic Crypt” is a more conventional thrash/deathster sustained in a consistent mid-pace with serene balladic sections adding more to the “idyll” which is also enhanced by a lush keyboard motif at the end. “Aquatica” naturally begins with some water sounds, but before the listener gets drowned in them, resume the rifforamas and reach intense thrashy proportions, but more diversity comes served later with heavy seismic passages and more tangibly present keyboards. “Subterranean Infiltrator” commences with some really stylish shred which becomes more and more dynamic, also more technical, as time goes by, and when the speed hits later the symbiosis reaches spiral-like dramatic dimensions recalling the debut. “Alter Reality” tries to “alter the reality” with a more sinister, more macabre exposition and almost succeeds interrupted by the faster-paced dash which again clings more towards thrash with more drama poured mid-way, with twisted technical riffs galore that also dominate the second half. “Gridzone” is a superb progressive composition with imposing operatic arrangements with the keyboards brought back in action, but their “duel” with the guitars is one-of-a-kind ensuring plenty of delightful moments those intercepted by less “climate” controlled short blast-beating outbursts; it’s the leads that put an end to this brutal episode occupying more space here as a finale.

The compulsive, eager display of ideas and originality from the debut is almost nowhere to be found here. This is a very carefully crafted work, with attention to every detail leaving very little room for spontaneity also increasing the melodic undercurrents even to the point of oversaturation at times. Amazingly the latter is achieved without the overuse of the keyboards as there are enough hard-hitting moments to ensure a wider interest from the fanbase. Thrash is even more frequently called for help than on the more dynamic and more aggressive debut, and when said style is in play, the delivery strangely reminds of acts like Despair, Obliveon and partially Anacrusis. A friend of mine has always considered Nocturnus a thrash/death metal act although to these ears thrash has always played a part-time, assisting role into the band’s repertoire.

The sequel to “The Key” came and went, by all means leaving a trace on the field. It left some disappointed, it pleasantly surprised others, and it kind of left something to be completed on a potential third instalment. Since such occurrence never followed in the next couple of years, the audience gradually forgot about these pioneers focusing on the new aggro/groovy/post-thrashy trends and other more fashionable styles (gothic, industrial, new black, etc.). Well, it turned out that not all was quiet on the Nocturnus front as the third coming appeared eventually, albeit after a lengthy delay. Although “Ethereal Tomb” was a logical evolution from its predecessor in terms of reduction of speed and less technical ways of expression, it went a bit too far in both aspects as it barely contained a more dynamic, fast-paced passage, and it only hinted at the previous intricate shredfests. It had a labyrinthine complex structure, and with the insistent keyboard motifs murmuring in the background one would have no problems recognizing the good old Nocturnus; it’s just that in their case seven years was way too long a period for the guys to be able to pull themselves together for another strong showing.

They could have nailed it on future works, by all means, but they didn’t last very long although the bass player and singer Emo Mowery and the guitarist Mike Davis had a short stint under the name Tiwanaku, and actually managed to do a very good job on the only demo (self-titled) they released in 2003, combining progressive, thrash and a bit of death metal in a fairly listenable, engaging way. The Nocturnus saga had a posthumous continuation in the form of several compilations that saw the light of day later in the new millennium, but it seems as though new visitations haven’t been scheduled. Until the next delegation from out of space…

Nocturnus burst out of the gates with The Key in 1990. The disc was superb, a blend of death/thrash with an outer-space angle I wasn't hearing anywhere else at the time. The production was rough, rudimentary, and yet effective. Mike Browning's voice, while not particularly brutal, carried some originality; and the songwriting, while possessed of many twists and turns, also managed to settle in to several heavy grooves that I still enjoy to this day.

Enter Thresholds, released two years later, and much anticipated by yours truly. Gone is the raw production, gone are the rough edges. The execution is more polished and more precise. Also gone, much to my dismay, are those lovely grooves which tied together the madness on The Key. In their place are more progressive, wandering passages. A terrible songwriting choice; one that shows off the musical talent of the band but significantly mutes the punch and memorability of the material.

And that is one of the primary problems I have with Thresholds. So much of it is just pointless wankery. Riff after riff are thrown at the listener with no discernible structure. Guitar scales are plentiful, but apparently just random elements with no purpose. The songs just meander around rather than focusing anywhere. Hey, here's another part! And another. And another. Throw some growls in there; talk about space gods taking over. Everyone's doomed! Especially this fucking album.

Apparently Browning was fired, but only after the initial recordings since he's still given the drum credit. His replacement on vocals is Dan Izzo, who is entirely devoid of any originality. To me he sounds like just another growly Tampa death metal voice. Thresholds' production doesn't help, ensuring his voice gets lost in the shuffle. Priority is given to the guitar wankery instead. His mild disinterest is evident in several places. Either that or he's just struggling to force lyrics into the ever-changing cadence of the songs. At a certain point, what's he supposed to do? Even a death metal vocalist needs something to hang on to. It's just not there.

What the hell are these arrangements all about, anyway? Write some fucking songs with a theme or two. Give me something to latch on to, something that makes it an actual song. It's incredibly frustrating to me because I can tell the talent is there. These songs are gone from my head after 30 seconds. The only way to get them back is to listen to them again. Why would I do that when I can listen to something more recognizable and substantive?

Tribal Vodoun is a great example. It starts off with a nice, rhythmic riff. There's a little Morbid Angel happening here, and I've got no problem with that. But then? It's gone. 10 more riffs happen, all different, all monotonous. Climate Controller is the same way. Aquatica is perhaps a little better, but not by much.

I'll give some credit where it is due though. Arctic Crypt establishes some atmospheric melody, transitioning to an acoustic passage and back into a decently planned solo, and then into a nice groove to close the piece. Subterranean Infiltrator lays down a nice riff or two, complete with an interesting mid-song break. It's probably the best song on the CD.

But these are fleeting moments that cannot bind the rest together. The core of the material doesn't hold up just because the periphery has a few moments of quality. Nocturnus disappeared after Thresholds. Yes, they did a demo afterwards and a comeback full-length effort. But the momentum was destroyed. And this is the CD that killed it.

In the '90s, Nocturnus was one of those bands whose releases were next to impossible to find. It seems that the band might not have clicked with too many listeners at the time, between the heavy use of keyboards and the lyrical mixture of occultism and sci-fi imagery that were present on the debut album The Key. I think the way Thresholds turned out might have been related to this.

On Thresholds, the sci-fi imagery and keyboards are still there, but the occult imagery is gone, save for the band's logo. Even the keyboards seem toned down a bit. They are still there, sometimes doing some pretty interesting things, but sound a bit lower in the mix. There are some occasional spots when the keyboards are more in the forefront, but overall they are not as in-your-face as they were on The Key. As for the lack of the occultism in the lyrics, I would think that is solely due to the fact that this was the start of certain members of the band hijacking, for lack of a better word, the band from its founder Mike Browning. Mike had handled the vocals as well as the drums on all the previous Nocturnus material, but had been talked into concentrating on his drumming, with Dan Izzo filling in on vocals. I won't deal with the rest of this debacle, as it is a bit off-topic, but concentrate on the effect it had on this record.

While Dan's vocals certainly get the job done well and I quite like them, I do miss Mike's raspy vocals from the previous album. Although, I will admit, Dan's vocals may be a better fit for this album than Mike's while Mike's fit better for The Key.

Aside from the vocals, there are some other differences in the band's sound this time around, which I am certain are a result of the diminishing input Mike had at this point. The riffs have a choppier feel a lot of the time on this record, a really fast "chugga-chugga" kind of vibe, rather than the more flowing double-picked riffing from The Key. Also, the production has different feel, sounding a bit muted, perhaps to keep the guitars from sounding less intense and in-your-face, similar to the lower levels on most of the keyboard tracks.

With all this said, Thresholds may, if you are already familiar with The Key and a fan of it, not hit you as hard the first listen. However, once given a proper listen and what you expect to hear versus what you actually get isn't really an issue anymore, I would say this one grows on you quickly, standing pretty evenly with the first record.

Even on the first listen, there is much on this record to show the band's brilliance. There's the instrumental, "Nocturne in Bm", where the keyboards are much higher in the mix, like The Key, even featuring a keyboard solo, and showcases the band's ability to have different layers to an album. It is heavy and even has some great lead guitar work, but is also a bit mellow in comparison to the other songs, which fits into the concept of a nocturne.

My absolute favorite track is "Arctic Crypt". It's a song with a lot of energy and an brilliantly intense intro that builds and builds until a break in the song and the main riffs kick in. This all carries you into a chorus that is memorable, plus some well-placed acoustic guitar. This song, to me, is just as good as anything else the band has ever done, being of its best tracks, period.

Some other highlights are: "Aquatica", "Climate Controller", "Atler Reality" and "Subterranean Infiltrator". To be honest, there isn't a single song on this record I would say is bad or even mediocre, but it just seems it may take more time to click with listeners than The Key. I know it did with me. Each time I listened to it back in the '90s, it just became better. In some ways, this record is more sophisticated and mature, which sometimes is a bad thing and likely has a lot to do with it taking a bit more time to grow on listeners, but I think it worked pretty well in this case.

So, if you dug the first Nocturnus record, give this one a fair listen and I think you'll hear that it is brilliant record as well, just not in the same way as The Key.

A legendary and pioneering death metal band, Nocturnus was formed in 1987 by drummer/vocalist Mike Browning after his departure from the fledgling Morbid Angel. They broke significant ground in 1991 with the release of "The Key", a sci fi-themed death metal album that not only displayed startlingly good guitar work, but also prominent keyboards. Not just the typical string/pad sounds that some bands had made use of (and that many would make use of), but actual synthesizer sounds that lent the album a very unusual tonal quality. It was, and to be honest, still is unlike anything else out there and remains essential listening for death metal fans. In this review, however, I'm taking a look at the sophomore "Thresholds", an album which I see as somewhat underrated and no less brilliant than the first one. Thanks to Earache recently reissuing this fairly hard to find album, I was able to get a copy of it (at a normal price) that I've been after for many years.

The first thing you'll notice about "Thresholds" is how much fuller and thicker sounding it is than the debut album. The production is a little muddy, so picking out some of the details will require the listener to be paying attention at times, and believe me this is definitely something you want to be paying full attention to. Guitarists Mike Davis and Sean Mcnenney unleash some tight and catchy riffs, but the main feature is their fantastic soloing and lead parts. It's very shreddy at times, which may turn off some listeners, but I find it absolutely great to listen to, very tasteful and classy and it really embellishes the songs nicely. Some of the more technical riffs are almost shreds in themselves.

Mike Browning steps down from the mic to focus more on drumming on this album. While never the world's most amazing drummer, he holds everything down flawlessly and has a few cool tricks up his sleeve and some really good beats. The new vocalist is Dan Izzo who, while not as vicious sounding as Browning on "The Key", fits the album fine and manages to spit out some pretty fast lines at times. The bass player can be heard throwing in some cool ideas from time to time, though he is fairly submerged in the dense-sounding mix. Louis Panzer's keyboards are brilliantly atmospheric, a little more subdued overall, though there are times when he's given a melody line that really adds to the overall sonic picture. There's some very atmospheric use of samples on this album too, from futuristic warfare to the sounds of the ocean depths.

As before, the themes of this album are largely futuristic and non-standard fare. "Aquatica", for example, reads almost like a science fiction short story about an underwater city (Bioshock before Bioshock?). "Arctic Crypt" reminds me a little bit of the movie The Thing, an alien terror in the frozen wastes. "Subterranean Infiltrator" is supposedly inspired by the Metal Gear game series. "Nocturne In Bm", despite being an instrumental, has to be mentioned for being probably the best instrumental I've ever heard, featuring perhaps my favourite soloing on this album...and, of course, the artwork. Just awesome. It wouldn't look out of place on the cover of a classic sci fi novel. I just love the colours and detail used here.

All in all, this is a very adventurous album that fans of death metal should seek out just for the stunning musicianship if not the unusual sounds and themes that are on display.

Nocturnus return with their follow up to 1990's "The Key", and to many a fans dismay, seem to have abandoned certain aspects in favor of a more futuristic vibe. This, however, provided what may be the peak of the bands creativity in their unfortunately short career. Before this review gets started, I'd like to provide a quick disclaimer: several of the songs on this record open with a short display of sound samples which initially come off as cheesy to anyone expecting a traditional death metal record. But, as fans of experimental technical death metal are already aware, the only (and often times best) expectation should be that of the unexpected variety.

It has been said that Earache pressed the band into hiring a full-time vocalist (drummer Mike Browning formerly handled vocals, even live) due to the odd stage presence the band had with a drummer pulling double duty. Hanging an offer for a music video over their heads, the band hesitantly obliged. What would initially seem like a hasty move would turn out to be a great one; new comer vocalist Dan Izzo adds his vocal prowess to Nocturnus. This not only made for a much more atmospheric album, but it also gave Mike Browning a chance to focus entirely on his drumming.

The record opens with a short monologue that segues right into the first track "Climate Controller". Here we are given our first taste of vocalists Dan Izzo. His throaty, guttural approach is absolutely perfect for this recording. While Browning employed pulsating, traditional death metal vocals on "The Key", Izzo adds a more intelligible modern death feel here. This accents the fluidity of the music greatly by adding a much more articulate edge. He accents each song perfectly; from the all out vocal barrage on "Subterranean Infiltrator" (arguably the fastest vocals on the album) to the more traditional technique on "Alter Reality" and "Grid Zone", he conveys the lyrical content with conviction.

The absolute insanity of this record can be summed up with the following two names: Mike Davis and Sean McNenney. The guitar playing by these two is nothing short of incredible. Each song is full of sweeps, taps, and legato lines that will make even the most discerning guitar player drool. Often popping in after Izzo's vocal parts, they create considerable atmosphere among the albums eight tracks. What's more, they were incredibly young during the time of the recording (no more than 22 or 23 respectively), yet are capable of such fretboard acrobatics, they sound as if they had already playing for that many years. Sloppy, sour-note shred is not found here; instead we are treated to an aural tag-team attack of pure sonic bliss.

In between the barrage of notes flying past your ears at light speed, you'll hear the occasional well-placed synth line. Let it be known that keyboards, if harnessed correctly, can add immense atmosphere even with something as heavy and dense as this. Louis Panzer does a great job of utilizing a much more refined approach this go around, dipping in and out with complimentary melodies on "Arctic Crypt" and going full-throttle on the instrumental "Nocturne in Bm". The buzzing sounds during the intro to "Aquatica" are an excellent example of said atmosphere; they conjure up images of a morbid underwater graveyard, setting the scene for the song perfectly.

The bass playing of Chris Anderson is beyond adequate for what is being performed here; it plugs and chugs right along with the schizo-type arrangements (a staple of the genre at the time and even today) with great ease. Band leader and founder Mike Browning gives a stellar drumming performance; a much more technical yet clean (not straight forward blasting such as is heard on "The Key") style composed of thrash and double bass is perfectly blended so as to not obscure the songs atmosphere (which is probably THE defining factor for any recording of this immensity).

It is not my place to try and convey the sheer magnitude of this album through this review; I would hope to pique the curiosity of the reader and get them to experience it for themselves. A good pair of studio headphones will yield the full magic of this masterpiece. It is extremely unfortunate that Nocturnus was so short lived, as I feel they outshine most of today's modern technical metal while remaining extremely tangible in the process. This truly was the golden age, and "Thresholds" takes the listener through the landscapes of time, space, and reality of the genre. Often requiring the bending of the mind in the process, "Thresholds" remains a hugely underrated benchmark in technical metal.

Despite the positive score I've given Thresholds, I actually consider it rather a disappointment compared to its predecessor The Key. While that was an anomaly among the emerging death metal background, a dark and atmospheric trip into apocalyptic artistry and sci-fi speculation, the Nocturnus sophomore doesn't really add a lot to the band's repertoire. Technical death/thrash with blunt vocals and hints of progression. It's clearly far less ominous than the debut, without any "BC/AD", "Neolithic" or "Lake of Fire" to grasp the listener with oppressive terror, but on the whole it's a consistent, level offering in much the same vein. The notation and intensity are simply not configured into the same show of force, though credit is due that the band hung on to their imaginative concepts and lyrics rather than sulk into the streaming gore of their peers.

The production here is arguably better or worse than the debut. Less muddled, but perhaps a slight too processed. The compositions are just as dynamic, but the mix here doesn't lend itself well, with a drab clarity to the guitar chugs that doesn't feel all that powerful. The initial salvo of songs are flush in style to The Key: "Climate Controller" having a few curious twists and turns, Louis Panzer's subtle synthesizer presence playing it perhaps too safe, but a nice lead tone and honestly one of the more memorable tracks on the album. "Tribal Vodoun" offers us a more hectic mysticism, with some writhing flurries of lead, but the keyboard tone sucks and the riffs are not all that striking. The "Nocturne in BM" is a nice instrumental with its glistening keys, but it waits too long to unleash its catchiest bit at the climax rather than hit us directly and then escalate off that to what might have been a far superior construction. While "Arctic Crypt" has some decent thrashing rhythms cutting through the din, I felt like it was aesthetically not a good match for its implied titular imagery.

The same for "Aquatica", which is conceptually like a Bioshock...before Bioshock. Sure, it opens with the streaming percolation samples we'd expect, and brings it back to the fore numerous times, but I'd have liked to hear more cheese in there. The riffs themselves are quite nice though with some epic leads, and "Subterranean Infiltrator" follows much the same motif and tempo sans the bubbling presence. "Alter Reality" and the closer "Gridzone" are both competent works, but like most that have come before them here, they too lack some of the morbid, threatening bluster of the debut, focused instead on their coherence and the quality of the leads. Mike Browning really works up a sweat on the latter and I found Dan Izzo's vocals to be marginally more passionate, so I'd say that qualifies it alongside "Climate Controller" as one of the album's best.

As a massive consumer of science fiction literature, films and gaming, I had no other choice but to appreciate a band like Nocturnus which looked forward to the stars, eschewing the grime and smear of the majority of their splattered statesmen. If only the execution had been equivalent to the vision, this might have been one of the greatest death metal acts in history, because the possibilities were limitless to the amount of conceptual albums they could have written. Such a cosmos of synthesized sounds and samples to affix to their riffing! Unfortunately, they were only able to produce one great album in their time (The Key). Not to say that Thresholds isn't still interesting or worth hearing, because it is, but the production is rather stagnant and the songs do not hold up quite so well.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

The first album from these "techno-deathsters from Florida" was an highly praised release from then prolific english extreme label Earache records. In the end, I don't put "The key" among contemporary masterpieces like "Spiritual healing", "Cause of death", "Blessed are the sick", "Left hand path", or "Piece of time". It's surely a cool piece of thrash/death metal with cool keyboard intros, good riffs and vocals, but guitars provide too much pseudotechnical wankery in my opinion. Also, bass guitar is non-existent and drums are definitely not outstanding. One like Pete Sandoval could have been the right man for the job, though I have to admit that Mike Browning's vocals are among the best of the genre: genuinely EVIL. Even considering these defects, "The key" easily beats "Thresholds" to death. The fact is: first album by Nocturnus was composed through several years of songwriting sessions and various line-up changes, with men like Richard Bateman (Nasty Savage), Gino Marino (Incubus) and Vince Crowley (Acheron) writing most of the music. "Thresholds" just sounds like a feast of riffing without any actual RIFF at all. Lesson #1: recording difficult-to-play parts, and pasting them together doesn't make a good song. Production is muddier and even less powerful than on "The key" (that was underproduced as well), bass is still indecipherable and band's skill actually doesn't rise to the occasion. Where "The key" had some good riffing or Slayer worship ("Lake of fire"), "Thresholds" shows guitar and keyboards wankery only. Plus, they fired Mike Browning from the vocalist role, when Mike's vox where among the good aspects on Nocturnus debut. Strangely enough, this album received sweet reviews at the time but (not strangely at all) record sales were mediocre to say the least. In conclusion, I don't understand why some people still praise "Thresholds": it's simply a collection of aborted musical ideas & cheesy sci-fi lyrics. Also, booklet is completely illegible, too, due to a bad choice of background photos. Avoid this album...and if you want to discover Nocturnus, choose "The Key".

This is some killer stuff right here. The members of the band seem to not be into too many other bands, but Mike Browning of Early Morbid Angel fame is here and he does a great drumming job. The production on this album is pretty nice, and really helps the awesome songwriting shine through. This is very technical. Think along the lines of Coroner mixed with Max Cavelera (Arize-era) on vocals, mabye a little Vio-lence because of the riff changes, also some Atheist and Death-ness in the riff work, and some very nice keyboard work sorted throughout the album for flavor. Get the picture? Yeah, it's out there.

We start of with "Climate Controller". It has a bit of a cheesy intro, and starts out midpaced, some noodly leady guitar, and then BAM! It goes through 150 riff changes ranging from very fast to midpaced. It goes on for 7 minutes without getting boring. The lead guitar is amazing. Similar to Coroner, but with a bit more Neo-Classical feel. It does a bunch of runs and fills at points to keep the song moving along. "Tribal Vodoun" has a more of a Death Metal feel to it, until the last minute and a half of the song. At that point it goes into total Coroner mode, with some tastefully used keyboards complementing the riffs. This is very progressive stuff, but is 100% brutal. No wankery at all. "Nocturne in Bm" is a very atmospheric instrumental with some nice guitar work and keyboards complementing it. "Artic Crypt" starts out melodic, and then goes into total Thrash. Almost "Stormrider"-ish here. We get a short clean interlude that moves the song along and some solos., then a time change. There's just so much happening it's hard to describe. The ideas all work very well, but sometimes you wish a riff would come back again, and they keep moving on instead. The song ends with some cool Thrash riffs and a keyboard solo over it. Sound strange? It is, but it works. This is how Melodic Death Metal should be done. Those idiot Swedes and their Gothenburg crap have nothing on this. "Aquatica" has some really cool Death Metal riffs after a keyboard intro. Kind of like something off of Death's "Human". Then some lead guitar breaks. There's a lot of time changes in here that are blatant, but it all flows very well. Oh yes, the drumming is great! It compliments the riffs perfectly. No grind crap here. It goes on for 7 minutes without getting boring. There's even a midpaced section with some Andy LaRoque-esque solos. "Subterranean Infiltrator" starts out sounding like a futuristic battle scene from a Terminator movie, and then busts into some riffage that sounds like it could have been on "Piece of Time" with those really well done keyboards. There's a few times where this one sounds like it could be a Watchtower song. It gets that technical. Then a melodic break that sounds like it could have been from "Peace Sells". There's just so much going on here, but all of it is so amazingly solid it's mind boggling. "Alter Reality" starts out more Death Metal sounding until a monster Thrash riff hits you. In this song riffs actually come back and they repeat themselves for once, which is nice. There's more a Marty Friedman-esque soloing style on this one. "Gridzone" is another one that is more Death Metal-ish, with some "Human" sounding riffs and a more Tommy Vetterli lead guitar style.There's actually a few blastbeats in the middle of this song with some Death Metal riffs. They really throw in influences from everywhere.

This isn't an album. It's an experience. Too many highlights to name. As a whole song though, I would have to say "Artic Crypt" was my favorite. If you like any of those bands that I said this band sounded like at times within this review, then find this. Easily one of the best Death Metal albums out there. They keep it very technical, with out losing the riff intensity. Why no one really knows this band is beyond me, this shit rules! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED