Formed in 1987 by Mike Browning after being kicked out of Morbid Angel, Nocturnus are a band that has always been teetering on the brink of achieving prominence in American death metal, alongside their Floridian brothers Death, Atheist, Cynic, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Deicide, and New Yorkers Suffocation. They certainly have the talent and originality to be something more than they are. Their approach to brutal death metal is quite unique, with its fusion of electronics and sci-fi influences into the standard dm sound. An interesting concept that originally worked well, but not on this album.

Ethereal Tomb, Nocturnus' "reunion" album casts Emo Mowery as the new vocalist/bassist, and while he does a better job with vox mortis than Browning ever did, his voice doesn't have much character and is altogether weak. However, bad vocals do not a bad album make. The biggest problem I have with Nocturnus' sound on this album is the absolutely bland, uninspired, and plodding riffing and lethargic song structures. Nocturnus used to be a fast, thrashy band that was right up there with the rest of the early Earache material in terms of intensity. Now... they're just plain ol' winded.

The first track "Orbital Decay" pretty much sets the tone for the entire album. At its core lies a mid-paced groove-death rhythm laden with some fairly cool drum patterns that, while not exactly fast, do incorporate plenty of creative fills. However, there's just something very unappealing to me about the pacing and overall feel of these songs. It's like the chug of the rhythm guitar and the lack of fast double kicks, coupled with the airy, omnipresent keyboard passages, have a mind-numbing and soporific effect. Only rarely do these songs go faster than mid-pace and even then, the riffs grow tired very quickly.

Not much more can be said about Ethereal Tomb. It's a slow-moving album full of tired-sounding groove riffs, weak vocals, and an overall boring feel. This is a complete lullaby of a death metal album that should be avoided by those who listen to death metal for technical riffing and speed. This would, however, probably serve well as a gateway album for fans of mallcore (Korn, Coal Chamber, Sevendust, Godsmack, etc.) who are looking to get into more extreme music. It's certainly accessible and groovy enough to do the job. But as a hardened death metal fan, I'm bored by it.

This review is credited to:
The Havoc Vulture