Album Reviews
Each of the songs on "Sterilize And Exterminate" is a total thrash-fest...Nocturnal Fear's debut is a must-have for afficionados for all things thrash. If "Sterilize And Exterminate" is an indicator of what's in store for their second album, then we're gonna have another thrash monster loose.
(Night of the Realm - Metal Rules)
Nocturnal Fear shred a vicious concoction that calls to mind a mix between early Sodom and Kreator. Like a russian haymaker straight to the nervous system, each song is massively driving and intense. This is tear-your-throat-out-kick-your-head-in-shoot-your-neighbor-with-a-rusty-harpoon-gun mania all the way. Highly Recommended
(Ryan Bartek - Pit Magazine)
Here is one of the best albums of Death Metal of the year, because Nocturnal Fear destroys all on its passage...drawing from the best of Thrash Metal...this group will form from now on part of your preferred groups.
(Skeletons of Society)
Nocturnal Fear puts the pedal to the metal and unleashes a wickedly fast and catchy headbanging attack of massively aggressive riffs, neck ripping double bass and killer song structures...there is not one weak track on this, not one let up of the obliterating thrashfest, no wimping out.
(Grymyrk - BlutKriegSieg Zine)
"Sterilize and Exterminate" debut album rages onward and slumward to a thrashed-to-the-gills pace...the Fear's pretty tight, too. Yeah, no Retro Show here...Good music is good music, and non-gay metal's good music to me: finally, an album fit to sit next to Pestilence's "Malleus Maleficarum" on my (frequently exterminated) record-racks.
(Nathan T. Birk - Unrestrained Fanzine)
This is pure war metal!! Nocturnal Fear is an extremely brutal band with a lot of death metal in their music and an old school feeling that gives them an original sound. Here we have a band that is pure brutality delivered with a lot of energy. The riffs are fast and furious and follow the rhythm and speed that the killer drumming sets. The band sounds really tight and seems well rehearsed...Pure brutality.
(Music Extreme)
Nocturnal Fear is one of the best death metal bands who have ever emerged from Michigan's underground..."Sterilize and Exterminate" is a very good album. The band plays mainly fast, but knows when to slow down and diversify its material. The riffing is very aggressive and memorable...without any boring moments. "Sterilize and Exterminate" is one of the best debut albums of 2002. I hope that Nocturnal Fear will get a chance to record the second full-length soon. They are a very promising band and if they continue this way of playing...and having good promotion they should be really successful in the underground.
(Damian - Metal Side)
...with a healthy dose of thrash influences...The band has matured on all levels. The songwriting/arrangements are more complex and diverse...yet at the same time catchy. I enjoy this release a lot...Forget all those lame (clean) "retro thrash" bands. This is the real deal. And Thou shalt sew another patch on Thy denim jacket.
(Ju-87)
If you asked me, which of Death/Thrash Metal releases from 2005 and 2006 is my favorite, Nocturnal Fear's "Fog of War" would be one of these albums that I would take into consideration. The quartet from Detroit had a very good debut "Sterilize and Exterminate". "Fog of War" is much better. That suggests how this band improves its music. The progression is impressive...Nocturnal Fear's style is based first of all on fast drumming and riffing that is shredding, killing, devastating, and whatever you want. Great tempo of all songs, very good arrangements, and memorable riffs make me think of this album as of one of the best releases of the year. That's a cross of traditional Death Metal and Speed/Thrash Metal that I would like to hear very often. It's difficult to choose the best tracks from such effective collections of songs...Their fury and musical advantages have to be underlined.
(Damian - Metal Side)
Nocturnal Fear is throwing down the raw material of death metal in a tactical thrash grenade. Vile, driven, bent on our enemies' destruction. And it's about goddamn time...No weak tracks on here...This is proudly, sneeringly, disgustingly metal, the way it should be. Throw back some ales, and bang your head.
(Nadine)
The pace is obscene as Slavehunter and Aggressor demonstrate the very definition of military preparedness. The well oiled machine...I must say I'm truly blown away and have even more mass respect for this quartet of veterans...giving it to you heavy and hard right off the bat....so perfect for screaming along, very memorable...some interesting melodic pieces interwoven into their brutality...the lyrics are memorable and the chorus is the fodder of cult thrash lore. Their German thrash influences run wild, entertaining uncharted territory...They own this sound!!!
(Agony In Paradise - Horns High Michigan)
Detroit, if this name means something for you and from the beginning, demonstrated their will and uncompromising position toward fucking trends...Nocturnal Fear have got another origin, they contemptuously piss on the modern metal fashions and cliches, preferring to dig into filthy, rapid-firing, bullet-belt fucking thrash!!! The band has ensured the ruthless attack obsessed by ferrous rage and I only may confirm that they have kept this promise! Moreover, these fucking thrashers observe all special old school style: spikes, torn jean jackets, stripes, wristbands, tattoos. The fast guitar tempo, qualitative recording, merciless hail of drum strikes and dirty voice...all this was made in old-school Teutonic style, which kicks ass. Nocturnal Fear did a really good album and Black Minds crew hail these misanthropic warriors!
(Sulpher - Black Minds)
Nocturnal Fear has brought lethal thrash to its metal-starved masses. Perhaps Detroit's ruinous environment prompted the lethal four-piece to create such a raging piece of destructive thrash. The album's title track is a prime example of molding brutal death metal with mosh-friendly Thrash. The thrashing, martial assault only gets faster and more lethal with a barrage of pounding war drums, rapid-fire double bass, air raid vocals, and charging guitars...blazing speed metal with mega death proportions. With "Fog of War", Nocturnal Fear has given the denim, Aviator Sunglass, bullet belt crowd a reason to cheer. This is the way metal is supposed to be played!
(Darren Cowan - Metal Centre)
