Photo by Tim Hubbard
“Yesod, The Dark Side Of The Moon” is the conceptual new single from science-fiction-inspired death metal quintet NOCTURNUS AD and their layered new album, Unicursal, nearing release May 17th on Profound Lore Records.
The anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Paradox, NOCTURNUS AD’s Unicursal will be released on its predecessor’s fifth anniversary. With Paradox, Nocturnus founder/sci-fi death metal godfather and original Morbid Angel co-founder Mike Browning would resurrect Nocturnus lore under its new alteration. Operating under the NOCTURNUS AD moniker allowed Browning the opportunity to finally continue the mythos that came before with the legendary album The Key – which would become one of the most influential death metal albums of all time — nearly thirty years after its release. Paradox proved a proper follow-up to The Key, both musically and thematically where the story and themes vocalist/drummer Browning initially laid out continue through the lens of the occult. Paradox’s story follows the journey of Dr. Allen William Magus (aka Dr. Magus), a scientist ravaged by a war plague disease and kept alive by creating a bio suit, the aftermath of the events revealed on The Key.
The new NOCTURNUS AD album Unicursal sees Browning, along with guitarists Belial Koblak and Demian Heftel, keyboardist Josh Holdren, and new bassist Kyle Sokol (bass on Unicursal was performed by now-ex bassist Daniel Tucker), continue the journey of Dr. Magus following the events of Paradox. Now armed with his bio suit, on Unicursal Dr. Magus is sent on a mission to traverse through the Spheres of the Kabbalistic Tree Of Life to conquer each sphere and collect its respective sigil/symbol. Unicursal will see Dr. Magus specifically travel to Malkuth, Yesod, Hod, and Netzach, the Tree’s lower realm, its roots. The story of Dr. Magus is featured in the album’s second half where the album’s first half will continue to explore ancient occult themes and mysteries from the unknown, separate from Dr. Magus’ story.
Comments Browning with the new single, “‘Yesod, The Dark Side Of The Moon’ is part of the story of Dr. Magus’ mission to travel through the portal of the 9th sphere Yesod on a giant Tree Of Life And Death floating in space in the Multiverse, where he descends into a cavern inside a crater on The Moon and battles a hideous Moon Beast to conquer and gain the Sigil Of Yesod.
Stream NOCTURNUS AD’s “Yesod, The Dark Side Of The Moon” HERE.
Profound Lore Records will release Unicursal on CD, LP, MC, and digital on May 17th. Find preorder options for all formats where the “CephaloGod” video is also playing HERE.
Unicursal is not only one of the most ambitious undertakings Browning has been involved with, but it is a formidable display of progressive occult metal wizardry that manifests NOCTURNUS AD as one of the most singular forces in extreme metal today; there truly is no other entity akin and Unicursal is another monolith that honors and continues the tradition and lore laid down with The Key and continued with Paradox. With blistering guitar manifestations courtesy of Koblak and Heftel, Holdren’s grand and epic synth passages and Browning holding down the rhythm with his calculated battery along with his unique commanding chants, Unicursal is a towering aeonic manifestation, extraordinary Sci-Fi otherworldly death metal forging itself through time and space.
Unicursal was produced, engineered, and mastered by Jarrett Pritchard at New Constellation Audio in Orlando, Florida, and features artwork by Uwe Jarling with design by Chimere Noire.
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