Nocturnus, a death metal band I know nothing about, but the concept of this disk is what I find to be the most attractive thing about it. It is my understanding that the band has broken up and no longer exists, but they have approved the release of this disk. This disk collects 3 live performances from their career, one from 1991, the second from 1993, and finally a third from 1997. On top of that, the shows were filmed by fans. All 3 shows were filmed with a single camera, and zero production values. While this contributes to the generally poor looking audio and video, it does add to that feeling of being there. As I watched each set, I felt as if I was there, the extreme volume filtering through the microphone, the fans standing down by the stage banging their heads. But as someone who likes to have top notch audio/video quality I couldn't help but see just how bad it really is, the haze, the camcorder effects, the bad zooming, the lousy sounding audio. I can forgive it and see it for what it is, but sadly it doesn't give me a terribly good look into who and what Nocturnus really is like.
The first set lasts for about 43 minutes. They look to be in a small club, low stage, low ceiling, very similar to a club I've been to. The performance is good, what I can hear anyway. The sound is similar to a more disciplined Slayer with keyboards. The crowd is small, only a few people are gathering at the foot of the stage, but they are definitely into it.
The second set is from 1993 and is about 41 minutes long. The venue is larger, there are more people there, and there are more lighting effects used. The audio and video is a step up from the first, but still towards the poorer end of the spectrum. The band's performance is better as well, you can tell the two years between the first recording and this has helped them as a band.
Lastly there is a set from 1997, but sadly it only consists of two songs. Again the audio and video quality step up a bit, but the cameraman keeps using those cheesy in-camera effects on the camcorder which doesn't help the end result, not to mention the zooming that tries to be timed with the drum beats.
I am not familiar with this bands history, but there appear to be 3 different lineups for the three sets, with 3 different singers. I could be wrong, so please correct me if you know more about them than I. The music is pretty good, I am curious to hear a studio recording to hear what they really sound like. The music has high energy, is fast, yet melodic. The keyboards add a nice dimension to the sound not usually heard in this style. Overall it is an interesting concept, even if the end result is spotty at best.
Video. Like I said previously, the video is poor, but can be forgiven considering the source. It is presented in a ratio of 1.33:1. Always remind yourself that the quality won't get worse over time like VHS would.
Audio. Pretty much in the same boat as the video, poor due to the less than ideal conditions. It is presented in two flavors, Dolby Digital 2.0 and 5.1. I sampled both tracks, the 5.1 has a fuller sound, but it is a faked 5.1 based off the mono/stereo (not sure which) source. Again, it will never get any worse.
Extras. None.
Bottomline. A very interesting concept, capturing a band at three different stages of their life cycle all in one place. The music has a good sound, I really like the keyboard aspect, the solos are also pretty good. For fans this is a definite must buy, but for those who are curious, you may want to check out a CD first.
Mildly Recommended.
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