Review of Nocturnal Fear - Code Of Violence

It had been a while since I last listened to anything as visceral as this release right here. Between sessions with the new Zero Hour and reviewing that flaccid Headhunter album, I haven't heard anything with this much speed in some time. Turns out, it's exactly what I needed, and I can thank this Detroit trio for bringing the death back to death/thrash.

Nocturnal Fear produces the kind of sound you might expect from an underground metal band with members whose names range from Necromodeus to Aggressor. They are unapologetically violent, hateful, war-obsessed and chock-full of killer riffs, and as one-dimensional as their approach might be, it works. Could the album have been a bit shorter? Sure. When it comes to breakneck thrash metal, 43 minutes is 13 minutes too long, especially when it is not always easy to recognize one song's end and another's beginning. However, as it stands, ten tracks and all, it's one of the genre's better releases this year and for those of us who have had our heads buried in more melodic metal it will serve as a welcome escape from the unnecessary complexity "progressive" music often entails.

Because Code of Violence is as unrelenting as it is, it is hard to recommend the album to everyone, but there is a catchiness to songs like "Out For Revenge" and "Line Of Fire" that should appeal more generally to thrash fans, even those who don't particularly like death metal. Admittedly, I wasn't floored by this, the band's third release, but Nocturnal Fear's mix of melody and mayhem has an irresistible and unquestionable charm.

Release Details

Nocturnal Fear

Code Of Violence

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