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Nocte Obducta - Nektar Teil II: Seen, Flüsse, Tagebücher review



Reviewer:
8.9

49 users:
8.59
Band: Nocte Obducta
Album: Nektar Teil II: Seen, Flüsse, Tagebücher
Release date: April 2005


01. Anis (Desîhras Tagebuch - Kapitel I)
02. Und Pan Spielt Die Flöte (Desîhras Tagebuch - Kapitel II)
03. Im Siebten Mond (Desîhras Tagebuch - Kapitel III)
04. Es Fließe Blut
05. Nektar
06. Atme

Time for a confession now: although this is already the sixth album of the German Nocte Obducta, I had never ever heard of them before. Not even the name, which is quite sad when you think about it. If the rest of their albums is half as great as Nektar II, I've done the biggest mistake in my whole life. Anyway, Nocte Obducta might very well be among the most prolific bands in metal. They released their first album in 1999 and their sixth (!) last year in 2005. That means one album every year plus a 30-minute EP in 2003.

Now the amazing thing is that Nocte Obducta don't play regular, raw, straightforward black metal. They (or, better, Marcel, the only composer and lyricist) manage to release one album per year while they play complex, almost progressive at times, melodic black metal with songs that clock up to 15 minutes. That's quite a feat if you ask me. And obviously that Marcel guy is not losing inspiration. Nektar II is simply an amazing piece of art.

As I said before this is not straightforward black metal. Labelling Nocte Obducta as mere black metal would not be fair. This band is so much more than that. Building upon a melodic black basis, they add death, dark, doom, folk and progressive elements so as to create massive, fetching soundscapes. The 16-minute epic "Und Pan Spielt Die Flöte" (my German is very limited but I assume it means "And Pan Plays The Flute") is a masterpiece per se: it has everything you can find on this album - cool vocals, fast-paced riffs (the intro doesn't fail to leave me speechless), folkish melodic bridges, nice and efficient keyboards. This is honestly one of the best black metal songs I've ever heard. This song alone justifies that you purchase Nektar II.

The last two songs show a more doomy, emotional side of the band. They are slightly less good than the beginning but interesting nevertheless with their weeping arpeggios and mourning whispers. The escalation at the end of the closing track "Atme" is particularly compelling. Don't ask me what the lyrics are about though. I've read throughout the Internet that they're poetic and amazing, but I don't speak German so they could as well deal with animal sex or killing posers.

In the end Nektar II is a complex album - I can't count the episodes in each song - but oddly enough it is so well-written that it is easily accessible. Thus it can appeal as much to the die-hard BM fans as to the beginners. Honestly this album is the epitome of the word monumental. In other words, this is not the kind of thing you hear everyday and Marcel Va. Tr. is a musical genius. Nothing less.

Highlights: Anis, Und Pan Spielt Die Flöte, Atme

Written by Deadsoulman | 22.02.2006




Comments

Comments: 3   Visited by: 69 users
12.12.2007 - 17:26
Rating: 9
Promonex
Cathemeral
Quote:
The 16-minute epic "Und Pan Spielt Die Flöte" [...] is honestly one of the best black metal songs I've ever heard. This song alone justifies that you purchase Nektar II.

Signed. It's nearly a pity this song is as divine as it is as it makes the rest of the album sound inferior. The album as a whole is awesome, but this one song just hovers over all the others, so that I often catch myself only listening to this one song while I generally am more the kind of guy who listens to an album from start to finish.

And yes, the lyrics ARE amazing and among the best you will find in black metal!
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All life begins with Nu and ends with Nu... This is the truth! This is my belief! ...At least for now.
- The Mystery of Life, Vol. 841 Ch. 26
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13.12.2007 - 06:52
tulkas
el parcero
I have to agree this band (or marcel, hehe) is amazing, and not only because of this single album that i agree is mindblowing, but because of the rest of their discography. it's a real pity they disbanded, though...
anyway, although their first albums were a bit more pure bm, they started to insert other genre elements to their music and you can easily see that if you listen to their whole discography, which isn't that hard considering it's 6 albums, plus the ep.
in this album you can see all those element put together, as well as in the Nektar Teil I album (which imo is as good or even a bit better than this one), and the outcome is just amazing! all this stuff put together on this album would make me think it's be appealing not only to BM fans, but also to DM fans, and even progressive.

incredible band, incredible musician this Marcel in everyway, and what i said before, a real pity they disbanded
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love is like a jar of shit with a strawberry on top
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02.12.2018 - 11:19
Rating: 8
Starvynth
i c deaf people
Written by Promonex on 12.12.2007 at 17:26

Quote:
The 16-minute epic "Und Pan Spielt Die Flöte" [...] is honestly one of the best black metal songs I've ever heard. This song alone justifies that you purchase Nektar II.

Signed. It's nearly a pity this song is as divine as it is as it makes the rest of the album sound inferior. The album as a whole is awesome, but this one song just hovers over all the others, so that I often catch myself only listening to this one song while I generally am more the kind of guy who listens to an album from start to finish.

And yes, the lyrics ARE amazing and among the best you will find in black metal!


+1 for every single word.

13 years after its' release, "Und Pan Spielt Die Flöte" is still one of my most favorite tracks of all times and all genres.
Had this track spinning in my car for months and I can't say how often I was too late at work. Well actually, I have always been there in time, but I just didn't leave the car because that epic 16 minutes long track was still running...
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signatures = SPAM
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