With their last/debut album Paradox, Nocturnus founder/sci-fi death metal godfather Mike Browning (also original Morbid Angel co-founder) would resurrect Nocturnus lore under its new alteration NOCTURNUS AD which gave Browning the opportunity to finally continue the mythos that came before with the legendary album The Key almost 30 years after the release of one of the most influential death metal albums of all time. The result being NOCTURNUS AD's debut album Paradox being the proper follow-up to The Key (musically and thematically) where the story of Dr. Magus would finally see its sequel three decades later.
The new NOCTURNUS AD album Unicursal sees Browning, along with guitarists Belial Koblak and Demian Heftel, keyboardist Josh Holdren, and new bassist Kyle Sokol (bass on Unicursal was performed by now-ex bassist Daniel Tucker), continue the journey of Dr. Magus following the events of Paradox. Now armed with his bio suit, on Unicursal Dr. Magus is sent on a mission to traverse through the Spheres of the the Kabbalistic Tree Of Life to conquer each sphere and collect its respective sigil/symbol. Unicursal will see Dr. Magus specifically travel to Malkuth, Yesod, Hod, and Netzach, the Tree's lower realm, its roots (the story of Dr. Magus is featured on the album's second half where the album's first half will continue to explore ancient occult themes and mysteries from the unknown, separate from Dr. Magus' story).
Evidently Unicursal is not only one of the most ambitious undertakings Browning has been involved with, but it is a formidable display of progressive occult metal wizardry that manifests NOCTURNUS AD as one of the most singular forces in extreme metal today; there truly is no other entity akin and Unicursal is another monolith that honours and continues the tradition and lore laid down with The Key and continued with Paradox. With blistering guitar manifestations courtesy of Koblak and Heftel, Holdren's grand and epic synth passages and Browning holding down the rhythm with his calculated battery along with his unique commanding chants, Unicursal is a towering aeonic manifestation, extraordinary sci-fi otherworldly death metal forging itself through time and space.
- After mounting one of the most notable returns in the realm of death metal, sci-fi death metal godfather Mike Browning returns with the sophomore NOCTURNUS AD album Unicursal which continues the story from their debut LP Paradox which was the continuation, 30 years later, of the classic Nocturnus album The Key (first death metal album to use keyboards), one of the most influential death metal albums of all time. The new NOCTURNUS AD album sees Browning continue the lore set with 1990's The Key.
- Unicursal is NOCTURNUS AD's most ambitious undertaking yet and the most challenging album Mike Browning has ever been involved in; one of the most advanced and forward thinking death metal albums of the year.
- For fans of old school Nocturnus (most notably The Key), Morbid Angel, Pestilence, and the newer era of sci-fi death metal such as Blood Incantation and Artificial Brain.
