Ethereal Tomb

When Nocturnus broke up in 1993, it seemed like the Florida death metal/thrash band was gone for good. But by the end of the 1990s, Nocturnus had reunited with a lineup that included Emo Mowery on vocals and bass, Sean McKenney and Mike Davis on guitar, and newcomer Rick Bizzaro on drums. Recorded in 1999, the reunion album Ethereal Tomb picks up where the band's late-'80s and early-'90s work left off. In fact, you could say that blistering items like "Apostle of Evil," "Paranormal States," and "The Science of Horror" are state-of-the-art Nocturnus; the Floridians are still brutal, and they are still more musical than most death metal bands. Although no one would mistake Ethereal Tomb for the mainstream metal of Ronnie James Dio, Iron Maiden, or Judas Priest, Nocturnus was never the typical, run-of-the-mill, one-dimensional grindcore band. Ethereal Tomb isn't quite in a class with 1990's The Key, but it's a solid effort that die-hard Nocturnus fans will welcome. ~ Alex Henderson