NOCTURN
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
If you were to go see a show featuring, say, Molly Hatchet, 38 Special, The Allman Brothers and Nocturn, you'd think that all of these Southern-fried bands were born and raised within miles of each other.
What you'd never guess is that Nocturn is from Germany.
Featuring the band's soothing cross-blend of Southern Rock and blues, Nocturn's self-titled CD is twelve tracks of the kind of classic rock that still gets lots of radio airplay. Most of the tracks are milder than the heavy stuff of Molly Hatchet but livelier than most of the softer sounds of The Allman Brothers. With a few notable exceptions, the songs are serviceable tracks that have that comfortably familiar Southern twang but don't really stick to your ribs, either.
The exceptions, however, really stand out. "Gettin' Restless Again" has an absolutely irresistible yet unusual hook that will make you want to hear the song over and over again. "Atlanta" is a heartfelt and soulful love song to that fair city. The bigger-than-life guitars give "Rambler" more life than it otherwise would have and "Leavin' You" is a haunting and effective ballad.
Overall, fans of Southern rock will find Nocturn's self-titled CD surprisingly satisfying.
Nocturn: Alfie Mizrahi - lead vocals; Kay-Hendryk Speer - lead, rhythm, acoustic and slide guitar, banjo, backing vocals; Arne Bihn - keyboards; Lutz Melzer - bass, backing vocals, acoustic guitar; Johann Kloevekorn - drums.
For more information, check out http://www.nocturnband.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2004 by R. Scott Bolton. All
rights reserved.
Revised: 14 Oct 2024 13:01:56 -0400
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