Noturnall is a Brazilian Power Metal band that has been around for a decade now and has achieved international fame through relentless touring and creating some EPIC music. Guest performers include Michael Romeo, Mike Portnoy, and Ney Matogrosso just to name a few. With guitar work rivaling DragonForce and a rhythm section that is second to none, the vocals round out a dynamic sound built for speed and rooted in accurate, aggressive compositions. It’s no wonder world-class musicians are joining them on their musical journey.

https://noturnall.com.br/

Band Members:

  • Thiago Bianchi – Vocals
  • Mike Orlando – Guitars
  • Saulo Xakol – Bass
  • Henrique Pucci – Drums

November 21, 2023 – Dynamo Records

https://dynamoprod.com.br/site/

Tracklist:

  1. Try Harder
  2. Reset The Game
  3. Lie To You
  4. Shallow Grave
  5. Shadows (Walking Through) [Feat. Orchestra By Michael Romeo]
  6. Cosmic Redemption
  7. Scream! For!! Me!!! (Feat. Mike Portnoy)
  8. O Tempo Não Para (Feat. Ney Matogrosso)
  9. Take Control (Feat. David Ellefson)
  10. The Great Filter
  11. Never Again (Bonus Track)
  12. Shallow Grave (Radio Edit, Bonus)

The album opens with “Try Harder,” a song that has a nice chugging rhythm with some killer leads and fills on guitar. The vocals are clean, though there is plenty of grit added to rough them up without going too harsh. Some of the really fun spots are when they layer a Rob Halford-style high note under the grit to provide a nice contrast. It’s like Thiago can go from Andi Deris to Michael Kiske and never miss a note; in other words, this guy has an incredible range.

On the next track, the rest of the band shows off their range. “Reset The Game” is for your inner speed freak and should not be taken lightly. The guitar work is freakishly fast, the bass is insane and the drums are blast beats on meth. This is the kind of song that can wear you out just listening to it. Finger tapping will burn 100 calories. In other words, it is one hell of a ride and tons of fun!

All the songs on this record range from fast to lightning speed. “Lie To You” does drop into a melodic mid-tempo at the beginning, but has those moments where it ramps up and goes for a Slipknot style riff that just makes you want to headbang. “Shallow Grave” is the longest track at nine and half minutes, plus it has a seven-and-a-half-minute radio edit at the end of the record. Like many Power Metal bands, Noturnall favors longer songs, giving themselves room and time to explore weighty lyrical topics and to feature some Progressive Metal-style compositions.

An additional key point of this album that makes it appeal to a very divergent group of listeners would be things like “Shadows (Walking Through)” which features excellent orchestration from Michael Romeo and it has all the qualities of a Power Ballad. This is a track that consists solely of orchestral awesomeness, ambient keyboards that set an incredibly elegant tone, and guitar work that is both delicate and complex at the same time. A power Ballad with a shredding guitar solo? Yes, please!

As far as the guitars go, Mike Orlando sounds like Michael Angelo Batio and Herman Li got together and decided to fuse themselves into a singular beast of a fret shredder. Henrique is one of the most accurate drummers at this or any other speed. Saulo can be no less than excellent. He must be just to keep up with his bandmates. Noturnall is a band that has some of the best musicians you will ever hear in a single band. Add in vocals that range from heavy grit to massive belt to soaring falsetto and you have a mixture that is second to none in the industry.

Play this album on a loop for at least three consecutive rotations. You will need that just to catch the sheer volume of tones, textures, and tempos this album offers. There are twelve songs that have a run time of about 70 minutes on this record and it feels like there are millions of notes on it. When Noturnall goes full Speed Metal, they rival the best of the best and make it sound effortless.

MZ Ratings:

Musicianship:

  •             Guitars – 10
  •             Rhythms – 10
  •             Vocals – 10
  • Songwriting – 10
  • Production – 10

Overall – 10.00