Published: October 11, 2023

Get ready to get sad! Italian depressive/atmospheric black metal band Notturno return with their second album called Inside, it couldn’t be more introspective if it was able to see through itself. It also seems to take a similar path for each of the four main songs as acoustic guitars, build into grief stricken screams and dissonance that comes from raw guitar riffs, before falling back into acoustic meandering on Autumn Leaves or pianos on Obessions a track named after their debut album. 

The latter features I think a hurdy gurdy, but I could be mistaken, but that’s some of the varied instrumentation you get on this dense album. Vittøriø Sabelli’s brainchild is very layered in its sound, but for me the black metal parts are probably the weakest, though the vocals of Kjiel and special guest Davide Straccione (Shores of Null) are both suitably anguished for what is band who happily dwell in the maudlin, Davide crooning on Once Again against the flute and more acoustics. 

Notturo are essentially an atmospheric folk band with black metal elements, the sound of autumn turning to winter. Inside is an intriguing listen. 7/10