Posted By Reverend Leviathan on Nov 23, 2018 | 2 comments

Band/Artist: Lana Blac
Release House: Cataclysm Records
Genre: Gothic Metal, Shock Rock
One Sentence Synopsis: Debut album from the Gothic Metal vampiress
Series: Standalone
Single/EP/Album: Album
Release Date: 10-19-18
Running Time: 31 minutes
MSRP: $12
Discount Link: Click Here
Website: Click Here
Sample/Music Video: Click Here
Purchase Site: Click Here
Reviewed by: Reverend Leviathan
Final Score: 5.0 Moons (Out of 5.0)

I was completely unfamiliar with Lana Blac until I saw her perform at Fright Fest 15.  After an awesome performance she hooked me up with a t shirt and CD.  Drawing musical inspiration from Gothic metal and shock rock, the vampiress has hit the scene hard, heavy and bloody with her debut album, Nocturnal.

Theme

Lana Blac opens Nocturnal with the in-your-face, hard-hitting “Suck You In,” which acts as the building block for her vampirism theme in her music.  Not so much as a gimmick, but more so as a true interest and was quite possibly deeply influenced by the actual vampire philosophy that exists today.  The dark romanticism flows throughout the rest of the album.

“Pick Your Poison” is one of three favorite tracks.  It slows things down a bit and has a bit of a modern death rock feel to it.  The pain from a relationship that she describes in this song and those following really remind me of Peter Steele (Type O Negative); someone really hurt her and pissed her off to the point where she seems to want to inflict harm on the past love.

The other two favorite tracks are “In The Darkness” and “Blac Ice.”  The former contains a beautiful melody done by strings that go very well with the guitars, and the lyrical theme of bats and a “sexual feast” occurring in the darkness is very poetic and appealing.  “Blac Ice” has a very good part played by a pipe organ and a harpsichord.  Her voice is filled with emotion as she warns her heart-breaker that she’s his “blac ice” and that he won’t see her coming when she gets her revenge.

Lana Blac and Rev. Leviathan at Fright Fest 15

Presentation

I have listened to this album multiple times.  I absolutely love it!  Lana has a very beautiful voice (just goes with her body and personality), and her vocal range is impressive.  She has very clean vocals, but can get a little rough if the emotion calls for it.  The guitars, particularly in “Pick Your Poison” are amazing and the melody is catchy on almost every track.  The mix of instruments was done very well, as was the mastering.  My only real complaint is the album’s a bit short; one less track and it would technically be an EP.  I think two more tracks that would make a total of ten songs would’ve been better than eight.

Gothic Fit

Lovers of female-fronted Gothic metal and/or shock rock would fall in love with Lana Blac and Nocturnal, I believe.  The mood of the album (pain, suffering, heartbreak, revenge) would definitely be appealing, not to mention the references to vampirism and the dark romanticism.  Her lyrics and the way she expresses them will grab the attention of the Gothic listener.

Closing Thoughts

Lana Blac has shown that she means business with Nocturnal.  A triumphant entry for the newly discovered Gothic metal vampiress.  She can suck me in any time she wants! 

        Theme: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
        Presentation: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
        Gothic Fit: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
        Final Score (not an average): 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)