As the great philosopher-poet Paul Stanley once said: I think the daytime is a fine time… but the night-time is the right time! Australasia seem to agree. As you can maybe gather from the title Notturno, this album has something of the night about it. An almost entirely instrumental project led by multi-instrumentalist Gian Spalluto, it’s an evocative musical journey through the wee small hours.
A nocturnal quality isn’t exactly new in my listening but the music on Notturno is unusual in that it tries to evoke and express the nocturnal world of nature and the beauty of the night. It succeeds. There’s plenty of ghostly ambience and shimmering, starry synths but the album predominantly uses a tapestry of layered, distorted guitars which are often gothic sounding or employ black-metal tremolo techniques to add to the haunting, moonlit vibe. The layers are often discordant too, which helps evoke the scurrying, chirping denizens of the dark: most notably, and appropriately, in Creature. There’s a lot of tension and release too as these discordant passages often resolve into sweeter, harmonic areas to uplifting effect. It’s a technique that’s tempting to overuse but Spalluto wisely keeps all these tracks flowing and shifting into different styles and moods rather than relying on the constant epic build. Invisible is the only track here that does keep building, the climatic vocals (the only singing on the album) tipping it over into cloying territory.
But songs like Eden and Amnesia keep the balance just right, adding enough grit and driving momentum to avoid becoming too saccharine and Kern brings to mind Judgement-era Anathema, another band that skirt skilfully on the edge of mawkishness. The album is cohesive and well-paced, rarely outstaying its welcome and holds your interest remarkably well for a predominantly instrumental record. As the beautiful, nostalgic piano of the title track plays you out it’s hard to believe 40 minutes have passed. Notturno has added a welcome variety of colour and mood to my listening and is one of my favourite discoveries of the year. The night-time really is the right time.
https://apocalypticwitchcraft.bandcamp.com/album/notturno
HEAVY METAL OVERLOAD 
Great find HMO, this is right up my alley. Pay day today, only 2 copies left on Bandcamp …
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Thanks! Glad you like the sound of it. Is there a vinyl edition? It’s got a great cover…
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It’s on one of those little silver things.
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It’s OK. I won’t tell anyone.
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You had me from your opening line! This isn’t bad though, very much unlike what I expected.
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This place looks like a damn zoo. Let me hear all the animals!
I think the Marillion fan in you might find stuff to like on this one.
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I’ve only just discovered that there is a genre called ‘ambient metal’. Think I like it!
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What do they teach you in school down there?!
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Ah. We dig up all our precious Metal and sell it to, er, overseas customers. So residents don’t really have a clue. Didn’t we export AC/DC, by the way?
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Yup. And The Berzerker.
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Don’t know the gentleman you mention. Presumably someone with a good line in frothing at the mouth.
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Pretty much. Sorry, just can’t think of much Australian Metal… I know about Morbid Sin and Hobbs’ Angel of Death but I don’t have any of this stuff. Maybe I should get some and do a special post!
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Nah, Scott. Forget the post. Come over and find them in person. It’s almost summer!
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Not sure my pasty Scottish skin could cope with that! What’s the winter like there?
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Bit like your summer, I believe.
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Hahaha sounds great! I’d need sunblock for your winter then?
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To be fair, not in Melbourne. But certainly on the accurately named Sunshine Coast (Queensland).
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Actually, I just remembered that one of my favourite releases of the year (The Antichrist Imperium) has two Australians involved. And there was a documentary released last year called Metal Down Under!
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Touché
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I believe Stanley has that title on his business card!
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He does. And Gene Simmons trademarked it too.
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Naturally Gene found a way to turn it into revenue!
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“the great philosopher-poet Paul Stanley”
Whuh?
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Don’t question it. Just let his love inside you.
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Well let me tell you something Detroit…that baby had the longest fuckin’ tongue I seen in my life!
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Haha I used that same quote on Deke earlier on!
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Paul why do you have a pistol in your pants?
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Oh sure, that’s not creepy at all… hahaha
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Very creepy… and hairy.
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Gah! I can’t hear you! [places hands over ears] lalalala lala lalalala lalaaaaaa I can’t hear you!
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Nice bottle of red wine, lights low, kids in bed, this album on the stereo. NICE!
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Very nice! Make mine a beer though.
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Sure! Am listening to Opeth’s Damnation on the good headphones right now. This would also work!
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I like the sound of this (of the written words and the sound sound). *grabs pen and list*
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It’s well worth checking out. It’s not perfect but it catches your imagination. It’s quite powerful at points!
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See, that there is what I dig about music … the catching the imagination bit. Stuff that might not be perfect, bit it’s inspired and inspiring.
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Well said! Totally agree.
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