Here we go with some seriously intense blackened melodic death metal....courtesy of The Black Dahlia Murder. 'Nocturnal' is without question the finest effort to date from these guys. After all the setbacks that were seemingly without end for the band, they held on and came through with the best line up they've ever had. Period.

Former All That Remains drummer Shannon Lucas suits the band well. Though he may not be as extreme or eclectic as their previous skinbasher (Pierre Langlois), he's capable enough, and keeps the foundation nice and tight. One thing to note is the higher register screams that Trevor is spewing out on 'Nocturnal'. It fits in better with the music, there's no doubt about that. The only minor problem is that it starts to sound a bit like Dani Filth at times. Obviously no one's screams and rasps could get THAT annoying, but it's a close second for Trevor. His band's skill is his saving grace, as the music is more suited to the higher register screams, than anything the aforementioned band has been able to put out in recent years.

All things considered, The Black Dahlia Murder have managed to create the best album of their career thus far. Looking back on the band's history, 'Unhallowed' was an amazing album for it's time, with the band being one of the first to largely incorporate staccato breakdowns into a death metal backdrop. 'Miasma' was a step in a more extreme direction, but the band hadn't truly stepped away from those 'core' influences completely. 'Nocturnal', however, is an entirely different animal. This time around, they've done away with the trend(s) they helped to create, and are finally on the way to carving out their own path and finding their own sound as well. 

'Nocturnal' definitely fits the description of "Less Core, More Gore", as the band have dropped all traces of hardcore/metalcore breakdowns from their sound, in favor of a more full on extreme metal approach. That alone is the reason for the vast improvement in the bands sound and style. Trevor's range has improved, with the blackened vocals fitting the bands musical direction like a glove. And the band's latest addition, Drummer Shannon Lucas seems to have been the missing piece to the puzzle.

Fans of the band's previous outings may be disappointed, while on the flip side, would-be fans and critics that felt the band wasn't death-oriented enough may end up quite surprised. This album is not just for the 'metalcore' or 'deathcore' crowd, nor is it just for the death metal or black metal crowd.......this album is for those that don't play into the bullshit details of categorization.

If nothing else, one thing is for sure......'Nocturnal' is NOT gonna be your next favorite Deathcore album........what it IS, however, is one hell of a wicked METAL album. Period!