METALLIAN - Noctifer

Manifesta Superbia – 2005 – Deadsun

Members

Vocals

Entheos

Guitar

TANATOS [EUGENIO] – Charun

Bass

Quirinus

Drum

Dark Season>>REGULUS [MARCO SALVADORI]>>Dark Season

History & Biography

This black metal band hailed from Rome, Italy and was founded in 1997 from the ashes of Der Nacht. Odiosa Vis Astrorum followed the Empire demo of 1999 in 2002. The group appeared at Pandemonivm Festival in Rome in 2002 where the act opened for Behemoth. This lead to the band’s sole record three years later. The band appeared on a split record with Nokturne in 2007, but otherwise issued a demo, called 454 - Anno Bastardi Domini, in 2009. The members came and went and there was more upheaval in 2015 and 2016, but a new album was not forthcoming. The band announced it is working on a new album in 2018. Veneficus was on bass. The next piece of news was an appearance at a gig that called itself a festival as usual, NWOIBM Black Metal Festival Vol. 5 of 2022.

Noctifer means 'Night's Bringer’ or ‘…Announcer’ in Latin. The band has been linked to fascism and Nazism given its nationalistic lyrics, use of the iron cross, signing up to play at shows like Blitzkrieg Fest, et cetra. Members like Herr Wolf and a monicker like Der Nacht are obviously German.

Reviews

NOCTIFER - MANIFESTO SUPERBIA - DEADSUN
In Noctifer one will find every apt trait a black metal band should embody. The Italian band blasts out of the gates, past an intro, like a mixture of Darkthrone and Dissection to the screech of a deranged singer and hyper-speed music that mows Jesus as its goes. Marking the obsolescence of weak and asinine false bands occupying the sub-genre the Noctifers go for the jugular with all the finesse of Impaled Nazarene. The music only slows down long enough to allow the singer to bark and growl at the moon before re-launching into a speedy foray into the worship of sin. Song titles like Supernova Experience, Odium and Legio Noctifer are not for the meek or the Dimmu Borgir-type tourist. They serve to remind the listener of the savage sounds of war resonating across the land en route to the worship of Satan. - Ali “The Metallian”

NOCTIFER - ANNO BASTARDI DOMINI - LEGIONARIA
This disc is actually a demo given how it was self-released through the band’s own imprint, but the album is being shown deference since the Italian group had previously released albums and claim Legionaria is a serious label. The label’s name and the artwork might bear Italian references, but this damned thing is serious stuff transcending limit. Eight tracks are vicious and blazing cuts of black. The songs are not so much like artillery, but rather like a body taking on a pounding. It does slow a tad to a mid-pace in places like on Bloody dawn, but by and large this is a no-compromise give-no-quarter onslaught of metal the way Noctifer knows how. The vocals are neither too low nor too high, but are certainly vicious and frightening (to lesser creatures like Nickleback fans).
The title refers to the assassination of a Roman general and the beginning of the end for the Roman Empire so the album might be a concept. - Ali “The Metallian”

Interviews

You want fucking underground? You got it. Noctifer is the real deal. Metal, black, dark and Satanic to the core, the Italian band has issued its abomination (read: album) through Deadsun Records. Don't go searching for it in stores though. Your local malls certainly wont carry it. Perhaps that was part of the reason Ali "The Metallian" went searching for drummer Regulus. - 19.04.2006

METALLIAN: Regulus, let us start with the band's background. You have as much profile as New York City has class and culture.
REGULUS: The history of our band dates back to 1994 when I assembled its first nucleus named Der Nacht. We released only a demo. After this period, in 1999, the definitive Noctifer project was born with a renewed line-up - a situation that has been repeated many times since. As Noctifer we issued two self-produced MCDs and recently made our debut with a full-length thanks to France's Deadsun Records.

METALLIAN: What does the band's name mean and is there a significance to it?
REGULUS: Noctifer is a Latin word which means more or less 'night's bringer or announcer.' It is a tribute to the night, to the sunset of rationality's light, of morality and mediocrity. Let me quote from the lyrics to the song Legio Noctifer, "We are proud legion, announcer of the forthcoming dusk, sunset it's just the beginning, the night will be long, then a new light will shine, restoration be started."

METALLIAN: Why the aliases? Each band member wears one on him.
REGULUS: My real name is on our website and is Marco Salvadori, but I don't think anyone would be interested in it. We use 'war names' because through our band we express our ideals, our values and we represent them not only through music, but also with the booklet's pictures, with the outward image, through the classical face-painting and the aliases as well, with which we baptize ourselves.

METALLIAN: Given the question I kicked off our chat with can you list your releases and the stylistic progression therein?
REGULUS: Our first work was the Hymns Of Sorrow And Darkness demo in 1997. It was black metal and was connected with thrash and death metal. The first MCD, Empire 1999, laid the basis of what became the classical Noctifer sound, powerful black metal, full of speed but at the same time never chaotic and with a particular care for atmosphere. The second MCD, Diosa Vis Astrorum, followed in the previous one's footsteps, going on with the same way, but with a larger consciousness and an increased technical and compositional skill.
On our album, Manifesta Superbia, we tried to bring everything to the extreme, the songs are speedier, more aggressive, but even the atmospheres are much more refined and expressive. In my opinion, everything is balanced and well-mixed as never before.

METALLIAN: Indeed, the album is superb. What is the intention behind the release?
REGULUS: Manifesta means 'explicit' because never before, as on this CD and its artwork, have we been so explicit about what we think, what we want, about our ideals and our valours. Superbia means 'haughtiness' and stands for a certain haughty quality is our behaviour towards what we consider mediocre... There are no specific intentions behind this release otherwise. It simply and totally represents ourselves.

METALLIAN: In your mind, what sets the album apart from the competition and is it important to be different from other bands in the first place?
REGULUS: I think what is important, is not being different from the other bands, but rather trying to improve always and to constantly know what you want to get out of something.

METALLIAN: Don't you fear that a lack of differentiation will not allow the fans to gather around Noctifer?
REGULUS: It could happen, especially in black metal... but I think that we have our own atypical way to create and make songs. I don't know if we can talk of originality, but surely, what we have created throughout the years is Noctifer's personal sound.

METALLIAN: In that context, which bands have influenced you and what do you think of Darkthrone and Dissection?
REGULUS: Darkthrone is a fundamental influence on every black metal band, even though I don't think it is quite evident in our sound. Dissection is a band, which I esteem, like many other ones, such as Dark Funeral, Burzum and so on. Let's not forget the great Morbid Angel.

METALLIAN: And what is your opinion and synopsis of the Italian scene? Do you reckon you fit within whatever description you will supply?
REGULUS: I feel respect for every black metal band out of Italy. I'm not a very sociable person. I have never maintained contact with any of them. I don't think there is a real Italian scene either. I'm in contact with only a few bands that I could also recommend to you the likes of Lapis Niger, Exsecratum (which is no more), Fearbringer, Sigma Draconis, and so on. These are made up of exceptional people.

METALLIAN: By the way, is nationalism a part of Noctifer?
REGULUS: We are born in Roma... Roma is not only a city. Roma in an idea that you can smell in the air when you are walking through it! I wouldn't talk of nationalism. I prefer to simply call it culture.

METALLIAN: Out of curiosity, how did your band and Deadsun meet and what sort of a deal do you have?
REGULUS: Well, they made us an offer in 2004 for the production of one album, which we accepted. That is all.

METALLIAN: How did they find you?
REGULUS: They simply heard about us and asked me for a promo. Then they constructed this proposal for a deal for 1 CD and Manifesta Superbia was released. We are now looking for a deal for our next CD.

METALLIAN: So it is off to the races again. Any news you wish to share with our readers?
REGULUS: We have just recorded 2 new songs that will be featured on a split release with Nokturne from the USA. This should be out soon through Baphomet Records. Also, the Danish BBSA Records will release music. This will be another split CD, called A Sixth Sense Of Darkness, with four other great European bands, and Arkha Sva from Japan. After that, we hope to play live as soon as possible and to so consistently so that we can support the promotion of Manifesta Superbia.

That is the title for the album once again for you. Regulus, singer Entheos, guitarists Thanatos and Herr Wolf and bassist Surtr, are not for the faint-of-heart. You know what to do given that advertisement. For more information hit the www.noctifer.it site.

If you enjoyed this, read 1349

Noctifer