Noctivagus- After the Curse

I have to confess to knowing very little about the Portuguese goth scene, from whence hail Noctivagus. A five piece at the time of the production of this album in 2003, the band appears from their biography to have had some sort of Spinal Tap-esque history in terms of members joining and leaving over the years since their formation in 1994.

In terms of sound, the band peddles a brand of slightly punked-up, traditional goth rock. This is a sound reminiscent of classic UK goth band Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, including doom ‘n’ gloom, operatic vocals.

Album highlights are the “Flames from the Soul’, and ‘Corta-me a cabeca’, both twin guitar assaults, the latter featuring tribal drumming and a hooky chorus. I just wish I could speak Portuguese to sing along to this track!

These guitar-driven, fast-paced tracks are where Noctivagus seem to excel. Slower paced numbers, such as ‘Cold Mind’ don’t seem to live up to expectations, and ‘Last Night’ with its drum machine driven sound and thin synth parts is really out of keeping with the rest of the songs.

Noctivagus should stick to their guitars – its what they’re best at. Their name has been popping up on a few DJ playlists recently – coming soon to a dancefloor near you perhaps?