The (surely) bullet-belted noisemakers in Nocturnal Graves play such a heavily blackened thrash that one could wager a life’s savings on a bet that they hail from Australia. And, lo and behold, Nocturnal Graves do not disappoint, with a membership drawn from the vast miasmic pool of filthy Australian talent: the band counts among its ranks either current or past members of Destroyer 666, Denouncement Pyre, Razor of Occam, Destruktor, and Impious Baptism. With such a pedigree, it should hardly surprise to find that …From the Bloodline of Cain is a thoroughly capable application of the style, but neither should it shock to discover that the path Nocturnal Graves treads is already mucked to deep, gristly furrows from the travels of earlier pioneers.
The production is clean and bright, which puts a much bigger spotlight on the thrash elements of the band’s music than one usually expects with the blacker, filthier style of thrash that often populates the rosters of Nuclear War Now! and Hell’s Headbangers. As a result, …From the Bloodline of Cain sounds a bit like Slayer circa Show No Mercy playing a set of Blasphemy covers. Wh-which… sounds pretty rad, right?
Well, it is, mostly: The vocals of Nuclear Exterminator (also J. of Impious Baptism, whose 2013 album Wrath of the Apex Predator is a gruesomely determined lo-fi black/death delight) are delectably venomous, and the squealing guitar leads of D666 axeman Shrapnel are happily welcome when they appear. The songs don’t always quite stick, however, and often become rote–if effective–genre tracings. The taut Slayer worship of “The Conqueror’s Flame” is a worthy shit-kicker, however, and the album-closing tandem of “The Great Adversary” and “…From the Bloodline of Cain” is so much more bristling with evocative fervor that it redeems and/or validates the entire album.
So, it’s clear that the whole Nocturnal Graves package is filled to the brim with ghastly conviction and tight, well-oiled performances. Still, the lingering question remains: What’s the particular need for another such similar-sounding outfit? Given Australia’s track record for excellence in this department, it’s unsurprising that Nocturnal Graves have cranked out a reliably monitor-straddling quest for black glory.
How deeply one’s own enjoyment of this runs, however, will largely hinge on one’s tolerance for miniscule variations on well-worn themes, and on the pleasure of hearing familiar players spitting practiced barbs in different configurations. As I’ve already grumpily mentioned elsewhere, maybe the final verdict is this: If you think a world in which Asphyx still exists needs Hail of Bullets, then you’ll probably also think that a world in which Destroyer 666, Denouncement Pyre, Mongrel’s Cross, et al. still exist needs Nocturnal Graves.
