Artist: Nuctemeron
Country: Germany
Label: I Hate Records
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2026
Nuctemeron was formed in 2014 but needed all that time to come up with a full-length album. Sometimes life just takes over, and then you also have all sorts of lineup issues. But that long lead-up to ‘Demonic Sceptre’ didn’t stop the band from building a formidable reputation in the underground scene. That reputation was forged through fanatical live shows and, of course, a whole string of well-received (split) EPs. Anyone who has been eagerly awaiting this Black/Speed Metal band’s debut album can breathe a sigh of relief: ‘Demonic Sceptre’ is exactly what you’d expect!
That pretty much sums it up. Anyone familiar with the band’s previous work will certainly not be disappointed as every bit and detail of what the band has been doing in the past 14 years is present on ‘Demonic Sceptre’. The fast and choppy drums, the razor sharp riffs and, perhaps most importantly, the idiosyncratic screeching vocals: they are all back, with a vengeance. That means that Nuctemeron will definitely further solidify their position in the underground scene, especially now they are backed-up by I Hate Records.
That being said, the connoisseurs among you might sense a little shift in the music. The core business of the band hasn’t changed and none of Nuctemeron’s previous admirers will be disappointed, but the tentative listener will notice a tad more melodic elements being added to the mix. Let’s call it a stronger Heavy Metal influence. Definitely not as strong as Cruel Force’s, but still. If you listen to a song like ‘Burn My Skin To Leather’, that’s when you hear Nuctemeron at its sharpest and most intense, loud and unforgiving. But a track like the closing ‘Brandish The Hammer Of Hell’, in which bassist Vulcanic Slut adds some of her clean yet spellbinding vocals, like a siren, giving it a touch of ‘Hammerheart’ or ‘Twilight Of The Gods’.
True fans of the band have heard three of the ten song before. Not only does the pre-album 7“ single ‘Rape From The Grave’ return in its entirety, featuring both the title track and the Venom cover ‘Angeldust,’ but ‘Fuck Off!!! (In The Name Of Satan)’, previously included on the split 7“ EP with Nunslaughter, also makes a comeback (albeit renamed ‘Fuck Off!!! (In The Name Of Evil)). While a total of seven new tracks might seem a bit thin for a full-length album, the band has by no means compromised on quality. Fans of fast and ultra-vicious Black/Speed Metal, without frills but with reckless bravado, will definitely love this. Definitely one of the better albums of the year so far.
