Dishing out blackened Death Metal from Spain since their formation in 2001, NOCTEM have steadily released music culminating in new album "Haeresis", their fourth full-length. Writing about ancient civilizations and mythological subject matter, NOCTEM does not disappoint. With their aggressive, blood curdling screams and rapid-fire guitars / drums, it’s no wonder they are moving up in the Metal masses, leaving a trail of putrid dust in their wake. The blistering opener ‘Through The Black Temples Of Disaster’ rips out our esophagus and throws it to the wolves. No punches are pulled. And just when you think the track may relax a little, it sucker punches you into unconsciousness. ‘Auto-Da-Fé’ continues the maelstrom with a fury not unlike a rabid incubus. Acoustic guitars strum and sway at the start of ‘The Submission Discipline’ before bleeding into an angst-fest of pure Black Metal malefice. And then there’s ‘Blind Devotion’, a staggering monstrosity that lumbers with reckless abandon and steamrolls into total destruction. ‘The Dark One’ barrels full-throttle with machine-gun drumming and quick-paced guitar riffing before slowing down to a shuddering mass of battle-worn exhaustion. But before you get too relaxed, the track explodes into fire ant-like intensity. And the album never lets up throughout. NOCTEM understands Black / Death Metal as well as the best of them. Track by track, there are no disappointments. "Haeresis" is a good, solid album that will satisfy any Metal fan. For more information, check out www.facebook.com/noctemofficial, www.artgatesrecords.com