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Reviews for Nokturnal Mortum - Goat Horns:

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This is the most perfect album I ever heard! Nokturnal Mortum's "Goat Horns" is an
awesome, yet brilliant release. The intro "Black Moon Overtune" puts Mozart
and Beethoven in the shade, but the following tracks cannot even be described
with words! Each member of the band masters its instrument professionally.
The peak is reached with "Veles' Scrolls" not even the Norwegian scene can keep up
with that! The only negative to point out is the bad recording-quality, whereby the
drums were recorded far too much left and the bass was recorded far too much right.
Altogether Knjaz Varggoth has created the masterpiece of its life with "Goat Horns"
and I believe it is not exaggerated to say that this is the best CD, which is
possible to exist on this planet!

Review by: hatred

From The End Records

Nokturnal Mortum dwells in one of the darkest and forsaken realms of the underground. Emanating from Ukraine they have become legends in their ancient lands and are now ready to sweep the rest of us. In seven opuses they feature beauty in its darkest and most extreme form. What can be described as lunar black metal they take on a majestic journey that combines devastating metal, with folklore and classical elements. An amalgam of pagan and eerie melodies this is a legendary epic; a grandiose masterpiece that only Nokturnal Mortum can deliver in what is wickedly entitled "Goat Horns".

Review by: shcherba

Gnosis

'Just amazing, symphonic and emotionally intense'
Firstly let me say that these guys from the Ukraine are absolutely brilliant, the music is deeply melodic and symphonic, filled with clever compositions and absolutely saturated with atmosphere. This can be partially attributed to the fact that they have two keyboards and not just one, but the addition of thing's like pagan wind instruments, tambourines and drums on 'Unholy Orathania' set them apart from so many bands that you could dare compare them to.
Firstly the music almost brings my slavonic heart to tears, it all feels very familiar, you can really set it apart from the Norse Hordes. The scene back in my homelands is definitely growing, and with talent like Nokturnal Mortum and Lux Occulta, and even Graveland, the locus of pagan art has moved.
I cannot even really describe the compositions as songs, they are more like an opus, and in the 51 or so minutes they take you on a majestic journey of black metal with a folkloric and classical twist. Unfortunatelly they have taken the step of many bands from the area, by having a song named 'The Call Of Aryan Spirit', but I'm not going to get into that, the music is too immense and magical for me to degrade it.
The subtle interplay of guitar work, blazing drums, symphonic synth movements, all intertwined with effects a plenty and outstanding keyboards to top it off. The song writing is just unbelievable, the symphonic start of 'Veles' Scrolls' is filled with mad layers of classical terror, until it moves into an almost Celtic Frost like riff section, I hail Knjaz Varggoth for the amount of work that must go into each song.
The opening track alone is probably enough to give you a taste of what the music is about, being a clever and beautiful pagan ambient piece, building up in majesty for the immensity of Kuyaviya. Kolyada utilises very ancient folk instruments, and the interplay of instruments and punishing rasped vocals puts bands like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir to shame, these guys actually sound convincing. Kuyaviya uses some fantastic clean vocals Ukrainian, reminding me of the days of Dimmu's 'For All Tid', when symphonic metal was about atmosphere, and not pretentious claims of evilness.
The mood is not always evil as you might expect, it is more majestic and thoughtful instead, something that the slavonic bands are really bringing into the scene, a more triumphant outlook to the war they are fighting and the ancient memories they are reviving. One comparison I have heard of the band is a mixture of Emperor and Mortiis, but I think this is no where near it, there are so many fantastic musical twists that I dare not imagine how much time the guys spent on this. The music is never chaotic, each element is carefully brought into the aural landscape, at just the right moment, and unlike Satyricon for instance, it does not feel clinical but more like a natural progression.
Each move in tone and melody is not expected, but more appreciated, like you may feel you know what will come next, but your expectations are blown away by more subtle movements within layers and layers of sound. Nokturnal Mortum I hail you, this music is filled with a dark immensity that surpasses bands who receive ten times the recognition, and do not rightfully deserve it, as this records proves.

Reviewed by Sulphur

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LARM - The Fourth Reich Of Reviews

Oh "puke" I thought to myself while listening to this album. Nokturnal Mortum (from none other than the Ukraine) sound like another filthy Dimmu Borgir clone. After listening to the album a few times, I still agree with that synopsis, but to a far lesser degree. Why you ask? Don't Nokturnal Mortum sound like such bands as the modern Dimmu Borgir and the modern Obtained Enslavement? Well yes they do, but they have two advantages over the previously mentioned bands. They are one: not plastic and fake sounding. You will not vomit too much after listening to this album. And two: They sound heterosexual in some sections.
I quite enjoyed Nokturnal Mortum's (then as NoKturnal Mortums) last outing, "Lunar Poetry". That's all I've actually heard from the band. But for synth drenched (and I mean DRENCHED!! Two keyboard players are going at it at once after all) black metal, it was still quite decent. It had a certain "feel" to it. This is basically the same though, with some improved musicianship, advanced production, and a minor change in "feel". A quality band from a technical standpoint, and I appreciate the intro to this album, but let it be known that it's simply not my cup of tea. People looking for a less plastic sounding version of Obtained Enslavement will generally enjoy this though. Besides a few moments though, I can't help but feel the need to stay near the toilet.And let it be known that someone going by the nick "Filth from the Cradle" also recommended it. You have thus been warned, and given a chance to make up your mind on whether this will appeal to you. If Nokturnal Mortum were from Norway, they would have been signed to a silly label like Nuclear Blast already, and touring with Dimmu Borgir at this very moment.
© 1997 BRAND

Review by: shcherba

i dunno .. the drum beats make me feel like im in some sort of a video-games party.
and the whole racism thing just suck.

Review by: forgotten

I can't believe this album has so many fans, i think they don't konow what they are saying!!! The first track like mozart or beethoven?!?! their cadavers are turning restless in their graves for this infamous words, this is ridicoulos shit, black metal is ruined by bands like this!!! Melodies are like cartoons, what's brutal or evil in this?!? ...save your money...don't buy it!

Review by: June X

this IS brilliant album... it really is couse these guys raelly awakend the slavonic spirit!!! if you look at this album in the way like "drums are to loud" or "vocals are bad recorded" or wathever, you are missing the point... mozart,bethoven? they have nothing to do with nokturnal, still keyboards are simply amazing(I don't have to say that they have two keyboard players)and I havent heard more comlexed melodies in intro & outro,yet in whole album..... guys play as one,you can feel that,though drums are bit louder. ETERNAL GREETINGS AND HAILS TO OUR SLAV BROTHERS. serbia is with you...

knez visokih suma

Review by: knez

This is one of the best black metal acts i've listened. It's a must in any black metaller collection. Get it or die.

Review by: Abraxas Daemonei Occultus

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