Nocturnal Omissions - Tempus Destinatum
Nocturnal Omissions is a band founded by Vallen Daniels. Active since the early 00’s, Nocturnal Omissions draws inspiration from a wide variety of influences and as a result, no two releases from this band are ever quite the same, though one thing remains consistent: the music is always of the highest quality. Today we are excited to take a listen to Nocturnal Omissions’ thirteen-track album Tempus Destinatum!
Tempus Destinatum begins with “Unfamiliar Places”, a song quite befitting its name. This track has this sort of uneasiness to it that plays like the soundtrack to someone exploring unfamiliar territory, as if on a journey through a dense wilderness or vast desert; the unique instrumentation on this piece really brings these feelings to life. The second song on the album is “Frozen Landscape” which continues the uneasy feelings with the song feeling quite literally icy in its presentation. “Endless Queues” follows and features a fantastic tonal shift. Synth-y and quite full of energy in its nature, I found myself coming back to this song for its faster feel and dreamy soundscape. Fourth from Tempus Destinatum is “Entry Scanner” and its infectious rhythmic nature is truly special. While listening to this song, I could imagine a camera panning around a futuristic facility where the titular entry scanner would be set up, scanning entrants. From these first four songs, it is quite clear how exceptional Nocturnal Omissions are at setting up diverse and engaging soundscapes, a trend that continues through the rest of the album.
“False Upgrade” is an absolute barrage of futuristic sounds which leaves the impression that it would flow well in a Sci-Fi action film’s soundtrack. “Parasitic Infection” is the sixth - and longest in duration - track from the album and it exudes a powerful and foreboding dark energy that is almost mystifying. At its most aggressive, this track utilizes some Dubstep-inspired bass that gives it an alien feel compared to the music we have heard up to this point. I love it! Up next is “Putting Away”. This song features a delightfully crunchy bassline that powers along in an addictingly melodic fashion, making this one of my favorites from the album overall. The eighth song from Tempus Destinatum is “Safety Demonstration” and also the shortest in duration at two minutes and nineteen seconds; perhaps this track’s short length is intentional seeing as though the album has some noticeable dark overtones, setting up strong dystopian vibes. If you listen to this song closely, you can hear what even sounds like a warning siren being sampled, truly an awesome touch. Ninth is “Cabin Pressure” which builds up to an absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing outro that stands as one of my favorite moments from the entire album.
“Upright and Locked” is tenth on the album and features superb melodic work with in-your-face synths sounds that easily delight. Not only did this song present a distinct soundscape but I could also envision hearing this song at an EDM club, sharing its energy with clubgoers. “Approaching Descent” returns us to a mid-tempo pace and stands as a deeply atmospheric piece that oozes with anticipation. “Rough Landing”, the twelfth song, really does sound like a rough landing; you can hear a certain franticness, bordering on panic throughout the entire duration of this piece and it really reflects the choice of song title extremely well - as much of the album has. Finishing out Tempus Destinatum is “Baggage Claim”, ending things on a note that wraps the album up in a very fitting manner. This song feels like a true reflection on how far we have come on the adventure presented by Nocturnal Omissions throughout the entirety of Tempus Destinatum and I think its reflective nature is an absolutely perfect summation.
Conceptually, Tempus Destinatum is dynamic, futuristic, dystopian and at some points, alien in its nature. The thematic execution by Nocturnal Omissions on this album is absolutely amazing and you can tell that each moment from each song, each note, was painstakingly crafted to give us a splendidly unified collection of songs. This is one of those albums that has plenty of songs that are amazing on their own but stands its strongest when listened to as a complete work and trust me, it is a one-of-a-kind adventure.
You can keep up with Nocturnal Omissions through their website, Twitter, and Instagram and you can find their music through Bandcamp, Reverbnation, SoundCloud, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Apple Music and Spotify. We have Tempus Destinatum embedded below via Spotify and you can also find the album on YouTube and Apple Music!
