siLLy puPPy Ukraine’s NOKTURNAL MORTEM is no stranger to controversy having been accused of advocating for the killing of Christians, burning of churches and neo-nazism in its pagan black metal music but despite all that the band learned quickly to distance itself from such controversy and focus more on its folk infused atmospheric black metal that has made them one of Ukraine’s top metal exports.

Well the band may have let go of its biting rhetoric but now in 2022, five years after the last release “Істина,” NOKTURNAL MORTEM returns with another controversial album, that being a modern recording of its classic 1996 demo “Lunar Poetry.” Like many metalheads i’m not fond of classic albums being re-recorded in general but once in a while there are some exceptions to the rule.

Meshuggah’s “None” comes to mind which clearly was a remarkable improvement over the original however most of the time the efforts come off as a desperate attempt to revive a stagnating career whether be in the world of metal with albums like Gorgoroth’s “Under The Sign Of Hell” or even prog with Camel’s re-recording of “The Snow Goose.” Most of the time it just seems utterly unnecessary.

True “Lunar Poetry” was only a demo but it has pretty much been re-released and presented as a bonafide early album for over two decades now with the CD release that emerged in 2002. A lot has changed in the 26 years since the demo haunted the 1990s including the lineup. Of the original lineup of Varggoth (guitars, vocals), Xaarquath (bass), Sataroth (keyboards), Munruthel (drums) and Wortherax (guitars), only Varggoth and Wortherax remain.

До лунарної поезії (To Lunar Poetry) features the new lineup of Varggoth (guitars, vocals), Wortherax (guitars), Karpath (bass), Surm (keyboards), Bairoth (drums) and although presented as a re-recording of the original classic demo, actually is a compilation of sort of most of the original “Lunar Poetry” along with the track “Return of the Vampire Lord” from the 1997 EP of the same name as well as another track “Акт віри (Ода інакомисленню) / Autodafe (Ode to Nonconformity)” which doesn’t seem to appear on any NM release.

This new updated version of “Lunar Poetry” is available as a nine track digital download and CD but also has been released as a collector’s edition limited to 333 copies and includes a 36-page booklet, T-shirt, flag and encased in a wickedly cool cardboard box with a magnet lock. The album has also found a vinyl LP release however only in Poland only.

Musically the tracks are presented faithfully in their original demo form with nothing compositionally speaking having been changed significantly. What’s new of course is the world of modern production value and an obvious larger budget to bring the original demo into the full spectrum digital age. As with all such re-recordings, this one misses that spontaneous lo-fi passion that made the original stand out so boldly and to be honest, the original “Lunar Poetry” featured a pretty good production for a black metal demo of its era. Since the lyrics are unintelligible it’s possible they have been changed to erase the band’s controversial content of the past which may be the intent of this release.

While everything on До лунарної поезії (To Lunar Poetry) is well played and decently recorded, personally i prefer the original since “Lunar Poetry” was one of the earliest albums that got me into the entire world of black metal. Aside from the obvious production upgrades, the musicians do not replicate the tracks exactly the same which is to be expected from a completely new cast of characters on board. Add to that Varggoth’s vocals sound more like Mirai Kawashima from Sigh than old NM. All in all a decent album but if you’re a huge fan of the original you will probably find that one more authentic.

siLLy puPPy Whereas eary Nokturnal Mortem albums looked to Dimmu Borgir for inspiration, many of their newer albums like Голос сталі (Voice of Steel) are clearly more folk oriented black metal with a healthy dose of additional instruments that seem more inspired by early Bathory. The folk influence is evident from the getgo with a good chunk of time devoted to it in the beginning before any actual metal finally kicks in.

This is one of their better later albums. While not being one of the most original bands on the block they do have the knack for borrowing liberally from other musical sources and honing it into something interesting. An experiment that at times works and often doesn't but on this album which has a very epic feel to it, I think it does. The crisp clean production is a plus. The fact that this band is racist and promotes Nazism makes me glad that I don't understand the lyrics but I do enjoy the music.

siLLy puPPy TWILIGHTFALL is Nokturnal Mortem's debut demo, which at over 50 minutes in length should be considered a full-fledged album given the fairly decent quality of the production.

This is a very different album from the next demo. This is a more straight-forward black metal album with influences from doom, thrash and death metal and interludes of folk instrumentation. Keyboards abound but they are more subdued and don't rise to the forefront like they do on LUNAR POETRY, although they do stand out occasionally. Early Dimmu Borgir is clearly the major inspiration here but they do manage to secure their own sound despite the influences being obvious.

Where this album does seem like a demo is in that it is unfocused and is a random collection of songs that are presented to show off the diverse influences of the band. Despite this, I find I actually like this album a lot more than I thought I would. Whenever I feel like listening to Nokturnal Mortem I usually skip the later works and go back to the first two demos.

siLLy puPPy Nokturnal Mortem is really a hit and miss band with me. I guess i'm in the minority when I say that I really dislike this album in comparison to LUNAR POETRY, the previous one. Everything that made the last album perfect has been messed with leaving this album seem unbalanced and overstretched.

The first thing I find overweening is the WAY too long intro, if you wanna call it an intro. What made the previous album work so well was how NM started each song with a beautiful folk melody and built upon it slowly until it was full on symphonic metal fury with no part overstaying its welcome. With this album they obviously thought more of everything was better. Well, I think it collapses under the weight of all the loftiness piled onto too little of an anchoring support. Several songs like this and then the outro goes into some strange musical journey that is totally incongruous with the album!

I can't say I hate this album. I do find parts of it are enjoyable, but listening to it makes me wonder why the repetitiveness warranted such lengthiness and it only makes me wanna go back and listen to LUNAR POETRY again, because on that album the ideas they present here actually worked. I must say though that I do give a thumbs up to the band for experimenting and not stagnating on the success of any particular sound.

siLLy puPPy Many bands have demos that suck and only mature once they release albums. With Nokturnal Mortem I actually like the two demos better than most of the albums. This one is my favorite of any release by the band so far.

Although they are basically building on the style invented by Dimmu Borgir on FOR ALL TID, I think they managed to take this sound and perfect it. What works for me with this album is that by using simple Slovak folk melodies on the keyboards, they build through variations to a satisfying black metal fury. Unlike the songs that are on the follow-up and first official full album, GOAT HORNS, these songs seem like the right length never outstaying their welcome. The mix works for me as well as it is different than most black metal. It is eerie and actually fits quite well with the concept and artwork. Even the strange guitarless synth-and-drum interlude “The Grief Of Oriana” seems to fit in.

If you are put off by many of the later NM releases, which for me are very hit and miss, then give this demo (at almost an hour long it could be considered a proper album release) a try. You might find that you do enjoy an NM release from beginning to end. Originally I was gonna give this 4.5 stars but after listening to it again a couple more times, I think this is a perfect album.