NOCTIFERIA comes from Slovenia, a country that is difficult to find on the great Metal map. And this fact becomes significant if you add the 12 years that this band has been alive. It is very difficult for a band to make the first steps in the music business if it hails from a country that is unknown to the labels and thus cannot attract the market. Fortunately, most of the metalheads like those bands and support them among the underground circles eventually forcing the record labels to take a look. Maybe this is the story for NOCTIFERIA who slowly but steadily rose up from the Slovenian scene and recently signed a record deal with Listenable Records, under which the fourth album "Death Culture has already been released.

If you go through the band's bio you will notice that NOCTIFERIA has been on a constant search for a personal sound blending all of their influences. Their search involves industrial rhythms and grooves, Death Metal burst and extreme vocals that in some strange way top things off. By checking the band's previous works I realized that NOCTIFERIA has been working on evolving their sound character in every album. In "Death Culture" the Metal elements are more dominant while the industrial underlying structures are presented through the late SAMAEL looking glass. The down-tuned guitars join forces with electronic samples and loops while the monotonous vocals by Poposki justify the 'extreme Metal' label that should be added in the band's description. Peter Tagtgren is responsible for mixing all these sounds and judging by his works with PAIN and HYPOCRISY there is no doubt that he is perfect for this task. Take for example "Samsara": on top of all the industrial and Death Metal addition Peter found a right place for the Eastern female vocal melodies that create a real 'sick' atmosphere.

Among the 13 tracks of this album you can discover influences from late SAMAEL, the groovy side of SOULFLY and the industrial touch of WHITE ZOMBIE or MINISTRY. NOCTIFERIA has taken all these different sound profiles and have implemented them in "Death Culture" which is aggressive, heavy, dark and occasionally serves some really addictive rhythms through the solid drum work.

I cannot subject this purchase to anyone without underlying the industrial elements that are the first thing one notices as the album opener "Terror" welcomes you to the NOCTIFERIA world. But, if you like your Metal served with some electronic layers then go ahead with this album.