The Devil's Elixirs Vinyl & CDs

Review: Nowadays rebranded as Nocturnus A.D., the original incarnation of pioneering progressive death metal legends Nocturnus came to fruition in 1987 under the astute eye of drumming lead vocalist and former Morbid Angel member Mike Browning. Utilising an array of synthesisers and keyboards to elevate their sci-fi influenced, cosmic take on the traditionally brutal style (keep in mind this is decades before Blood Incantation would re-popularise the sub-subgenre), the band's 1990 debut full-length The Key as well as its 1992 sophomore follow up Thresholds have grown into underground classics of the scene. While a highly anticipated reissue of their primitive The Science Of Horror cassette demo arrived last year, now their often overlooked two-track self-titled EP receives the prepress treatment. Originally released in 1993, these two cuts continued to showcase the incomparable vision and technical dexterity of Nocturnus which, almost to their detriment, kept them consistently in a league unto their own.