# Nocturnus

Nocturnus, currently Nocturnus AD, is a Florida death metal band formed in Tampa, Florida, in 1987 by the drummer and vocalist Mike Browning (ex–Morbid Angel).

## History
### Formation

Nocturnus was formed in 1987 by drummer and vocalist Mike Browning following the breakup of his old band, Incubus. The band was formed by Browning, former Incubus guitarist Gino Marino, and former Agent Steel bassist Richard Bateman. The band eventually began working on material and added a second guitarist, Vincent Crowley. This first lineup recorded one self-titled demo in 1987. Crowley quit (going on to form Acheron) and was replaced by then-unknown 18-year-old guitar prodigy Mike Davis, who was also Marino's cousin. Bateman quit shortly afterward to join Nasty Savage.
Nocturnus added new bassist Jeff Estes and a keyboard player, Louis Panzer, in 1988. Panzer's addition made the band unique in the death metal scene and provided the band with an atmosphere that enhanced their increasingly science fiction–themed lyrical content and image. This lineup put out the Science of Horror demo. In 1989, Marino quit and was replaced by Davis's long-time friend and neighbor Sean McNenney. As both Davis and McNenney were highly technical players, their very fast and often dueling guitar solos became another focal point of the band.

### The Key

In 1989, thanks in large part to Mike Davis's friendship with Morbid Angel guitarist Trey Azagthoth, the band signed to Earache Records. The band recorded their debut album, The Key, with Tom Morris and released the album in 1990. The album, filled with a unique occult-meets-sci-fi concept (a blend of Browning and Davis's influences, respectively), virtuoso guitar pyrotechnics and space-age-ish keyboards, managed to become a death metal hit, spawning tracks such as "Standing In Blood" and "BC/AD (Before Christ/After Death)". The album also featured backing vocals by Massacre vocalist Kam Lee. 70,000 copies have been worldwide.
During the recording of The Key, Jeff Estes developed analcohol addiction that negatively affected his bass-playing skills, and Mike Davis ended up playing much of the bass on the album. Estes was fired shortly after and was replaced by Jim O'Sullivan. With O'Sullivan on board, the band toured for The Key in 1991 in support of Bolt Thrower before embarking on the Grindcrusher tour with Morbid Angel, Napalm Death, and Godflesh. O'Sullivan was fired immediately following the tours.

### Thresholds

In 1992, the band decided to get a full-time vocalist to allow Browning to concentrate solely on drumming and because Earache promised the band a music video if they got a "real" frontman. Former Tortured Soul vocalist Dan Izzo was brought in for lead vocals. The band hired session bassist Chris Anderson to play on their next album, Thresholds.
As Browning had become less involved in the band's songwriting, Thresholds saw the band's lyrics move in a much more sci-fi–oriented direction. Musically, the album was less unrelenting and more diverse than The Key and included an instrumental track ("Nocturne in Bm"), acoustic guitars in "Arctic Crypt", and exotic percussion in "Tribal Voudon". The album sold fewer copies than The Key had. Despite this, it was generally favorably received by critics and fans for its ambitious and unique progressive direction. "Alter Reality" was released as a single with a music video, and "Arctic Crypt" and "Subterranean Infiltrator" also became fan favorites. The band got a new permanent bassist, Emo Mowery (formerly of Malediction), and had a European tour for Thresholds, during which the band was unsatisfied that Earache's lack of promotion led them to make little money off the tour.
After the band returned home to the United States, musical differences between Mike Browning and the rest of the band became increasingly apparent. This culminated in Sean McNenney and Louis Panzer, behind Browning's back, ensuring rights to the band name "Nocturnus"; they also signed Mike Davis to this name, but not Izzo or Mowery. Browning was fired from the band shortly after, and animosity still remains between the McNenney–Panzer and Browning camps. Browning was replaced by James Marcinek.
The new Nocturnus lineup began recording new songs for a third album, which included the songs "Mummified", "The Invertebrate Plague", "The Great Spot", and "Orbital Decay", all of which were written by Davis, McNenney, and Panzer. However, around this time the band began to lose label support from Earache, and their contract was dropped. The new lineup put out a two-song self-titled EP in 1993, which featured a recycled early song "Possess The Priest" and the new "Mummified". Panzer, McNenney, and Marcinek departed the band after this, and the band effectively split. During this time, most of the band members effectively fell off the musical grid, except for Mike Davis's work on a project with Trey Azagthoth that was never released.

### Ethereal Tomb

In the late 1990s, Sean McNenney and Louis Panzer began playing together again, writing ambient metal riffs. Eventually deciding that these new ideas could work as new Nocturnus material, Mike Davis and Emo Mowery were readded to the fold, along with new drummer Rick Bizarro. In 1999 Nocturnus released their comeback album Ethereal Tomb, now on Season of Mist. The album had a more refined and ambient sound than the band's previous work. In 2002, the band split up again.

### Post–second breakup, reformation, and Paradox

Since the dissolution of Nocturnus, the most active former member has been Emo Mowery, who has played in bands such as Leash Law in Florida. At a certain point, Louis Panzer reformed an old band called Cry Blue, which Mike Browning described as "Sting type music", though he was known to be involved in the software industry and living in North Carolina. Currently, he is the executive director of North Carolina 8-1-1. Browning has been involved in a wide variety of projects, currently After Death, which bears a style similar to a less technical Nocturnus. The other members of the band have been inactive in music as far as is known, and former guitarist Mike Davis has gained a particular mystique – false rumors of his death circulated in 2008, and he is often falsely credited with playing guitar in Rob Halford's solo band, misattributed to be Halford's bassist of the same name.
The band has made two post-breakup releases, The Nocturnus Demos, a collection of the band's pre-Earache recordings, and Farewell To Planet Earth, a DVD of live shows from various periods.
In late 2008, Browning toured with his own band, After Death, under the Nocturnus name for two exclusive UK dates – one at BUSK in Birmingham and the other in London plus some European gigs.
In May 2013, Earache Records began a Kickstarter campaign to gather pledges for Thresholds to be re-released for the first time since its official release date in 1992 using the original DAT master tape, successfully reaching its goal in July. Also in 2013, After Death performed under the Nocturnus name once more for a Mexican tour. On 24 September 2013, it was announced that Nocturnus would play Maryland Deathfest 2014, and perform their album The Key in its entirety. Shortly after, the band reformed as Nocturnus A.D., containing every member from After Death.
On May 24, 2019, Nocturnus AD released their fourth studio album, Paradox, through Profound Lore Records.

## Style

Nocturnus' sound has been described as "daring and progressive." The band was known for its science-fiction–themed lyrics and use of keyboards, both of which were virtually unheard of in extreme metal at the time. The band's lyrics were said to "[offer] a refreshing alternative to death metal’s prevailing preoccupations with Satan and gore during those early years." The band's 1990 debut album is considered by some to be the first progressive death metal album. The band said, "There's only so fast you can play and there's only so heavy you can be without it all sounding the same, or without it all just being a blur, so you know, maybe we've opened up a whole new branch of direction [...] with the music. [...] As long as it keeps expanding and bands keep experimenting and doing different things, it's not going to die out."

## Members
### Current

* Mike Browning – drums, lead vocals (1987–1992, 2013–present)
* Demian Heftel – guitars (2013–present)
* Belial Koblak – guitars, backing vocals (2013–present)
* Josh Holdren – keyboards (2017–present)
* Kyle Sokol – bass (2023–present)

### Former

* Mike Davis – guitars (1988–1993, 1999–2002)
* Sean McNenney – guitars (1989–1993, 1999–2002)
* Louis Panzer – keyboards (1988–1993, 1999–2002)
* Emo Mowery – bass (1992–1993, 1999–2002), lead vocals (1999–2002)
* Chris Bieniek – drums (2002)
* Dan Izzo – lead vocals (1991–1993)
* Gino Marino – guitars (1987–1988; died 2017)
* Vincent Crowley – guitars (1987)
* Richard Bateman – bass (1987; died 2018)
* Jeff Estes – bass (1988–1991)
* Jim O'Sullivan – bass (1991) (live only)
* Chris Anderson – bass (1991) (session only)
* James Marcinek – drums (1992–1993)
* Rick Bizarro – drums (1999–2002)
* Nocturnal – keyboards (2013–2017)
* Jason Kiss – keyboards (2017)
* Daniel Tucker – bass (2013–2022)

### Timeline
## Discography
### Albums

* 1990 The Key
* 1992 Thresholds
* 1999 Ethereal Tomb
* 2019 Paradox (as Nocturnus AD)
* 2024 Unicursal (as Nocturnus AD)

### EP

* 1993 Nocturnus

### Demos

* 1987 Nocturnus (demo)
* 1988 The Science of Horror (demo)
* 2004 The Nocturnus Demos (compilation)

### DVD

* 2004 Farewell to Planet Earth (DVD)