Written by Tchyort
- Nox Formulae
- Drakon – Darshan – Satan
- Black Metal
- March 27th, 2020
- Dark Descent Records
- 8.3/10
Black metal as a genre has progressed quite a bit since its inception. We’ve seen countless bands fuse the basis of the 2nd wave sound with so many different flavors to varying degrees of success and yet many prefer to stick to the core fundamentals. Nox Formulae is a Greek band that very much stays close to its roots, both lyrically and sonically, and with their latest outing Drakon Darshan Satan.
Right away the band wastes no time and jumps into a barrage of blast beats, assaulting the listener with a hellish soundscape. Influences of Norwegian pioneers Emperor and Mayhem are instantly recognizable as arpeggiated chords and tremolo picking with straightforward metal drumming driving the songs forward. Though the sound is very much rooted in the traditional black metal sound the band does pepper in some more melodic movements throughout the album breathing fresh life into their music.
The vocal performance is absolutely outstanding, though vocalist Monkshood 333 doesn’t vary much from his tortured shriek, he executes every line with conviction and power. In the track “Ravens of Terror” he shifts into a pleading cry before dropping down into a spoken line that adds a layer of storytelling to the song we don’t usually get in black metal.
Nox Formulae: Bandcamp / Facebook / Spotify
All in all, Drakon Darshan Satan is a fantastic black metal album. The raw power that emanates from every performance on this album is a testament to their talent and conviction and while they don’t push the genre forward in any new direction, their execution of a tried and true sound is nothing short of masterful.
8.3/10
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