With their last / debut album Paradox, Nocturnus founder / sci-fi death metal godfather Mike Browning (also original Morbid Angel co-founder) would resurrect Nocturnus lore under its new alteration Nocturnus AD, giving Browning the opportunity to finally continue the mythos that came before with the legendary album The Key, almost thirty years after its release—one of the most influential death metal albums of all time. The result being Paradox—the proper follow-up to The Key (musically and thematically)—where the story of Dr. Magus would finally see its sequel. The new Nocturnus AD album Unicursal sees Browning, along with guitarists Belial Koblak and Demian Heftel, keyboardist Josh Holdren, and new bassist Kyle Sokol (bass on Unicursal was performed by now-ex bassist Daniel Tucker), continue the journey of Dr. Magus following the events of Paradox. Now armed with his bio suit, Dr. Magus is sent on a mission to traverse through the Spheres of the Kabbalistic Tree Of Life to conquer each sphere and collect its respective sigil / symbol. Unicursal will see Dr. Magus specifically travel to Malkuth, Yesod, Hod, and Netzach, the Tree’s lower realm, its roots—the story of Dr. Magus is featured on the album’s second half, where the album’s first half will continue to explore ancient occult themes and mysteries from the unknown, separate from Dr. Magus’ story. Unicursal is not only one of the most ambitious undertakings Browning has been involved with, but it is a formidable display of progressive occult metal wizardry that manifests Nocturnus AD as one of the most singular forces in extreme metal today; there truly is no other entity akin and Unicursal is another monolith that honours and continues the tradition and lore laid down with The Key and continued with Paradox. With blistering guitar manifestations courtesy of Koblak and Heftel, Holdren’s grand and epic synth passages, and Browning holding down the rhythm with his calculated battery along with his unique commanding chants, Unicursal is a towering aeonic manifestation, extraordinary sci-fi otherworldly death metal forging itself through time and space.
