NOCTEM - SPAIN

Divinity – 2009 – NoiseHead
Oblivion – 2011 – Rising
Exilium – 2014 – Art Gates
Haeresis – 2016 - Art Gates
The Black Consecration – 2019 – Art Gates
Credo Certe Ne Cras – 2022 – MNRK

Noctem image
  
 
Members
Vocals
Obscure>>BELETH>>Obscure

Guitar
Exo – Helion – Nekros – Ethell – Ex Inferis, Xenosis, Onsetcold, Scarab>>STEPHEN MOSS>>Onsetcold – Germen, Tu Carne, [In Mute]>>TOBAL [CRISTÓBAL GALÁN]


Bass
Ul - The Sweet Metal Band>>VARU>>The Sweet Metal Band

Drum
Darko – Vhert – Agathos, Rebel Souls, Niu De Corbs>>VOOR [ARNAU MARTI]>>Agathos, Rebel Souls, Niu De Corbs





History & Biography
This black metal band was founded in Valencia, Spain in 2001. Sonetchka was on bass. The 2002 demo was called Unholy Blood. The 2004 demo Live 2004 was filled with cover versions. 2007 brought God Among Slaves.

Noctem signed a deal with NoiseHead Records of Austria in the summer of 2008. The band was writing all the material for its debut album, which was to feature ten new songs. Noctem was to enter in the NoiseHead Studios on January 30th, 2009. The band issued its Divinity album in spring of 2009. The band was touring Spain. Incantation and Hate announced a tour of Western Europe for January of 2010. Divine Eve and Noctem would support the bands. Italy’s Noctem signed with Rising Records in 2011 for the release of its new album. Mark Daghorn, owner of the label had worked as producer for bands like Cradle Of Filth or Porcupine Tree. The band also adopted a new image.

Noctem’s new album was entitled Oblivion and out through Rising Records in mid-2011. The second part of the trilogy that started with the Divinity album was going to be “the hardest, fastest and darkest opus from the band until the date.” The act signed with Prosthetic Records in the summer of 2014 for the release of its Exilium album. The album was expected immediately in Canada, USA and Australia. The band hit China in the spring of 2015. Noctem announced a new European tour with Nagaroth for March of 2016. Immediately thereafter, the band was recording a new album. The band was at Firework Studio in Valencia, Spain for an album, which was due later that year through Art Gates Records. At this point only Beleth and Exo were original members. Noctem announced its first headlining tour in Russia presenting the band’s album Haeresis. The supporting act was From Hell. Jumping on the beer sales bandwagon the band put its name on a beer called A Cruce Salus in 2017. The band was touring Russia. Art Gates Records and Millenia Studios became business partners in the autumn of 2017. Billy Gibbons, Placido Domingo and Los Piratas had used the studio in the past. The first output of the new arrangement was the latest recordings of Noctem and [In Mute]. Noctem was at Millenia Studio in Valencia Spain recording a new album for Art Gates in 2019. The band was playing at different festivals in Europe that spring and summer. The band would tour Europe using The Summer Ceremonials monicker in July. Noctem’s The Black Consecration album was the fifth album of the band and was to be issued through Art Gates Records worldwide in November. Exo left in 2019. Ethell followed. Guitarists Moss and Cristóbal Galán joined.

Spain-based black/death metal outfit Noctem joined the MNRK Heavy roster in 2022 with plans to release a new full-length later that year. The act’s next album was called Credo Certe Ne Cras. It was out through MNRK Heavy on 28.10.2022. The band was playing at Metal Gates Festival and Bloodstock festival. Noctem performed at 11 festivals, including the likes of Graspop Metal Meeting, Summer Breeze, MetalDays in the spring and summer of 2023. Noctem was conducting its Credo Certe Ne Cras tour across Europe in September and October. The band was also stopping at multiple festivals.


Reviews

NOCTEM - THE BLACK CONSECRATION - ART GATES RECORDS  
The Spaniard's fifth full-length seems to move Noctem ever more away from death metal and into black metal. Starting an album with its longest song, of nearly nine minutes, is not the most typical. The song tells the story of a man falling from grace and embracing the dark side. The man eventually comes to the realization that while god is real he hates us. He then completes the journey and hails satan. It is heavy and fast with pounding blasts and various screams, wails and tortured vocals courtesy of Beleth. It is unusual for such a long song to do what this title track does. As a standalone song it is excellent, an album with all songs like it would make the album one of the best. Sulphur is next and is black metal with heavy guitars and growls that add a solid death metal element. Uprising Of The Impenitents has more mid-paced sections and an acoustic middle that all fall into a more standard black metal category, however it does remain a heavy song. Coven is heavy fast black metal once again. Beleth, Exo, Varu and Voor do not disappoint. All That Now Belongs To The Earth takes another step in confirming The Black Consecration as a must have album. Let That Is Dead Sleep Forever is the shortest song at less than four minutes. It is fast and heavy and somewhat reminiscent of something Marduk would do. Beleth keeps singing in different voices and tones in a way that effectively adds several dimensions to these songs. Court Of The Dying Flesh takes a minute to get into full gear but does what the other songs do and at times ups it to hyper speed. Its extended instrumental section works well too. The closing Dichotomy Of Malignancy is as effective as the rest of this eight song album with its speedy blasts. The song and album end abruptly as if the instruments can't handle the abuse. The Black Consecration is a great metal release. – Anna Tergel


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Noctem