Artist: Nocturnal Adversary
Country: USA
Label: Mystic Glory Order
Formats: Cassette EP
Year: 2025
Other than their affiliation with the Mystic Order circle, alongside Eisenblut, there’s practically no information about Nocturnal Adversary available. However, it is plausible that these two anonymous acts share some of the same personnel. In any case, they share the musical domain of fairly raw Black Metal, as is also the case on this latest achievement: a cassette EP entitled ‘Eclipse Of The Weak And Their Broken Blood’.
The self-titled demo from summer 2024 showcased a band that clearly has its roots in (Raw) Black Metal’s core values, but it also regularly reveals its stomping punk side. Those basics found in Punk gave the demo a bit of a primal character. Yet it were the Darkthrone-like melodies and the relentless pace that kept the music firmly within what we could consider Second Wave Black Metal confines.
On ‘Eclipse Of The Weak And Their Broken Blood’ the changes, compared to the debut demo, are fairly minimal. Yet, with the Punk-bits reduced to practically zero (mostly only still present in the title track) and the production being more polished, the music on this EP is considerably more Black Metal. Polished, though, sounds a little misplaced in the constellation of what Nocturnal Adversary is bringing to the table. The rougher edges might be smoothed out a little, the overall sound more muffled. So, in a sense, one cancels out the other and the result is a primarily Raw Black Metal effort. Not really original perhaps, but solid enough to be enjoyable for the full 20+ minute ride.
