Review by Matt Miller
Neglecting a fancy introduction, Nocturne opens Guide to Extinction with a shock in “Shallow,” compelling me to follow suit. Equally rhythmic and guitar driven, the introductory track stimulates listeners to a nifty ass-shaking mosh and provides an ample foundation for the more extraordinary tracks on the CD. It’s everything a first track and single should be.
Followed in similar fashion by “I Lie” and “Alibi” which explore the electronic and synth elements of Nocturne a little further, Guide to Extinction effectively strings together ideas into an explosive theme while maintaining a semblance of musical variety.
The crunchy guitars begin to wear a thin with the fourth track, “Passion,” which is almost abusively heavy and actually seems to lack passion. However, where feeling fails on Guide to Extinction, it’s immediately redeemed. One of the standout tracks on the album, “Walk Away” adorns heavy guitar riffs with various guitar and electronic melodies that have a new wave feeling. The melodies are simple, but they come together to give the track a dynamic texture, actually seeming to walk away at points. The vocals also regain the sincerity that was lost in the previous track.
After stumbling once more over “Indulge” and suffering a spell of mediocrity in “Class War,” Nocturne etches another exceptional entry into Guide to Extinction with “Nothing.” Sacrificing guitar crunch for smoother riffs, and combining them with a bass dominant rhythm and meandering melodies of synth and electronics, the eighth track executes a perfect dichotomy of power and play.
“No Way Out” boasts a vocal driven melody with some catchy bass, while “Dead Man” enhances riotous lyrics with voice samples and an obscure electronic melody as well as some smooth synth in the chorus. These two tracks offer a sort of Nocturne buffet for listeners, and it leads into a heavy cover of Renegade Soundwave’s “Cocaine Sex.” Lending itself to the almost pretentiously raspy and seductive vocals that pop up in earlier tracks to modest effect, “Cocaine Sex” compensates for previous failures, making it one of the better tracks on the album.
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