Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
Noctiluca are an (almost) all female metal band from Parma, Italy. Actually 3/5 of the band are female, the only male members being bassist Miguel and drummer Nicola. The rest of the line-up looks like this: Stefania (Vocals), Cristina (Guitar), Francesca (Guitar). The band have actually been in existence since 2000, and have previously released a couple of demos. Their full-length debut – just released – is called “Back to the Soul System” and it features 9-songs and 47-minutes worth of some hard driving, melodic metal with various other influences such as gothic and alternative thrown in as well. The opening track is probably my favorite. “Tonight” really delivers a statement straight away. If you’ve never heard this band before this song is an effective attention grabber, with it’s heavy, slow guitar riff that just chugs along and the big vocals of Stefania. She has a mid-range to high voice that is quite impressive. Impressive too are the melodic harmonies that are employed here. As I said this is probably my favorite song, it sets a definite high standard right off-the-bat. Next is the 7-minute “Alice”. It begins with a psychedelic type riff, that is reminiscent of something from the early 70’s, but then the song gets really grooving and Stefania delivers another huge vocal performance. She employs several different ranges here. After the greatness of the first track, this one is not too shabby either. “From Beyond” is next and it begins with some nice slow guitar that sets a definite atmosphere as the breathy vocals of Stefania comes in. This is a slower tempo song than the previous one and it really stands out. Awesome performances all the way around and another great, heavy guitar riff and a great melody. “Escaped” is probably my second favorite track here. With it’s marching and guitar riff that keeps pace, it is a undoubtedly one of the stronger tracks on this disc. The complexity of “Drylands” features some cool temp changes, and “Simplicity” and “There Is a Time” keep things moving along at a nice pace, while the final two tracks “Home” and “Rebecca” end this disc in style. Overall “Back to the Soul System” by Noctiluca is an impressive first impression. I had never heard of this Italian band before but I was pleasantly surprised upon putting the CD in my player. The songs are well written and the band deliver solid performances throughout. Italy continues to produce great bands, but Noctiluca definitely has the potential and the style to stand out from the pack.
Rating – 80/100
Tracklist
- Tonight
- Alice
- From Beyond
- Escaped
- Drylands
- Simplicity
- There Is a Time
- Home
- Rebecca
Line Up
- Stefania Pelosi – Vocals
- Francesca Calzolari – Guitar
- Cristina Restani – Guitars
- Miguel Ferrigno – Bass
- Nicola Corradi – Drums
Links