Nocturnal Overlord, known for acts such as Necrochamber, Crimson Moon and his synth/ambient project NIBIRU, has a brand new solo project titled “Earth Chronicles – Vol. 1” under his own moniker, Nocturnal Overlord.
An idea for a new solo project had been brewing for a while; urges to write and an inspriation to do something more, “Earth Chronicles” was born. Taking cues from world music, soundscapes and ambient styles, NO has made his most ambitious piece to date.
At its heart, “Earth Chronicles – Vol. 1” is a journey through space and time. Those familiar with the previous works of the Overlord, know that his appreciation of music goes far beyond metal; “Earth Chronicles” is a progression and a compliment to those endevours.
For 18 minutes you will be taken on a path of discovery. Synths, percussion and a wide array of instrumentations of subtle yet vast depth will lift you out of your chair as if a beam of light appeared out of nowhere and took you to a strange yet familiar place.
Your journey will end in a place not from whence you came. The album begins with a familiar and calming ambience, not unlike NO‘s other ambient projects before you find yourself surrounded by tribal chants and rhythmic drums. Then a slight tonal shift begins at about the halfway point and before you realize it, you are on another planet.
Nocturnal Overlord has gone above and beyond with this project to give you a full transcendental out-of-body experience, there will be a video companion that will launch alongside the audio on his YouTube channel.
When Does It Come Out?
“Earth Chronicles: Vol. 1” releases on Friday, Feburary 28th, 2025. You can get it from NO‘s Bandcamp page.
A special cd release gathering is set to take place @ Burning Beard Brewing in El Cajon beginning at 6pm on Feburary 28th, 2025. Be there or be square! And maybe grab a beer or two while you are there.
Follow Nocturnal Overlord and find all of his music on his socials below.
Fireside Chat With Nocturnal Overlord
Briefly, what is your musical background?
Nocturnal Overlord: Both of my grandparents had church organs, and my father had an acoustic guitar. I have photos of me as a baby sitting on my Grandma’s lap playing the organ. So I was always attracted to sounds and music. In Jr. High, I learned how to play the drums, and eventually also learned electric guitar and bass. Shortly after, I was programming drums, and making recordings.
Was there anything in particular that sparked the idea for Earth Chronicles? When?
NO: Well, I have a few different musical projects where each one kind of has its own musical style and atmosphere. Some of them can be quite technical and take a lot of effort, time, and work to finish. Especially if I am trying to involve other musicians and make a “band” that could perform live or make some kind of collaboration. But just like everything in life, it has its ups and downs. I always had an idea to make a solo project, besides NIBIRU, for a very long time. And a few months ago I got sick with some kind of cold or flu which hit me worse than Covid did. While having a fever and an interesting out of body experience, something told me that now was the time to make something new. I also had the time, while the newer members of Necrochamber get caught up and ready to record the new album. So that’s exactly how I started the writing process. As soon as I started making the music, that’s when all those mysterious drones started appearing in the skies just a few months ago. Usually the music and sounds are already there waiting for me. I just have to figure them out.
This is not a conventional record, what was the writing process like?
NO: It’s not a metal or rock album whatsoever. At first, I was planning to just do a digital release. People don’t buy physical music as much as before unfortunately, besides vinyl. But vinyl is expensive to make, and takes a long time. So I was trying to think of ways to not spend so much time on recording and writing and waiting and get back to being creative, and also to create something without worrying so much about expenses on my end. After the good response I was getting, I decided to also release a very limited edition first pressing CD run of 100 copies. I would say this new release kind of takes some elements from all of my other different projects, Crimson Moon, Nibiru, Necrochamber, Temple of the Dreaming Serpent, etc., but without being metal. So that made it really interesting and inspiring for me to work with and not be closed into any kind of particular genre. I also wanted to make it kind of like an original soundtrack to a film, where the tracks aren’t so long and almost tell a story.
How did you create the record? Live Instruments? Digital tools? Combo of both?
NO: Everything you hear on the recording is synth based and was actually played by me on the keyboard using VSTs and sound libraries. Synths are interesting to play, because every single sound has its own feel and you have to learn to play each sound differently. So I usually picked instruments that I know and am familiar with and kind of know how they are normally used. I’ve played and learned various instruments in my life including, percussion, tuned percussion, strings, synths, flutes, etc. There were a few drum patterns that I used loops for, but I think only on one track out of the ten.
There are some tribal chants and other vocalizations on a couple of tracks. Was that performed by you or did you bring someone in?
NO: That was something I had to decide early on, if I wanted to have some kind of vocals or human elements in the music or not. Ultimately, I decided there would be no lyrics, but to use some choirs or chanting here and there where it seemed appropriate. For now, it was VST samples that I used, but I will probably add some real voices too in the future if the idea fits. I don’t think there will ever be typical singing or growling though. More of using voices as instruments.
Were there any collaborators involved in the production?
NO: Only the energies around me that have always been there! Hahaha. Like I said earlier, the music is always already there waiting for me to find it and bring it to life when the time is right. Because I decided to make it a complete solo project, it made it easy for me to finish. There was nothing to hold me back.
The record drips with Aztec (and Mayan?) atmosphere and mythos, can you expand a bit on that?
NO: Most of the instruments and sounds I used are old traditional instruments from around the world, including Aztec/Mayan, Norse, Balinese, Middle Eastern, India, Asia, Africa, and more. I really enjoy world music, so my goal was to make the listener feel like they have been transported to a different place by using different sounds and atmospheres. I also used sounds made from organic sources such as ice, snow, violins, percussion, etc, but sometimes highly warped them to make them sound like something completely different. Most of the song titles are based on ancient mythology depending on where the instruments I used originated from.
Does the record tell a story?
NO: The only way I could explain it, is that it’s like a modern time capsule with sounds and myths from around the globe that paints pictures without using any words. Once you open it, it will depend on the listener what they find and get out of it. I imagine some people out there might not be able to handle it and feel very uncomfortable. For others, it will be more meditative and relaxing. And even others, it might spark some kind of inspiration or open paths to something they never even thought about before. I think that’s what makes this project a bit different or special. I have no idea how people are going to react to it. So far, it seems to take most listeners by surprise.
The last 3rd of the album is very different from where the record started, taking on more “sci-fi” aesthetics. What the fuck?
NO: Hahaha, that is exactly why I put the songs in the order that they are in. To completely change the setting and attitude. The atmospheres and emotions on the whole release are all over the place. I always thought track order is very important and people will remember it. I didn’t want to make a complete synth only type of album, and I didn’t want to make an entire traditional/folk/world music type album either. I already have other projects like that. So I tried to be creative with it and leave a lot of questions unanswered, have some twists, turns, and unexpected things happen, and leave loopholes to make the listeners think a bit. I think that is something a lot of new music lacks. Especially in the digital age. I wouldn’t call this project “party music” whatsoever. Lol. It’s more something you would listen to on your own, with headphones on, or while working on something important, or even while sleeping or meditating. I also made a music video for each track. So I think that is going to add an entire different element to how people perceive it all. I think some will always get the videos in their head when they hear the music. Others will probably hear the music in their head randomly while watching something completely different and when they least expect it. It has this kind of strange way to creep into the mind.
Earth Chronicles is a complex record, I’m finding new things in every listen. There are so many layers in just percussion alone, I can imagine this took a while to write and record. Did this idea sit for a while before recording started?
NO: Yes, there are a lot of things going on with every track. It’s a grower for sure. I purposely tried to keep some instruments more in the background, even if they are playing an important melody. The more you listen, the more you will hear. Especially with headphones on. Being able to use other kinds of drums and percussion besides typical rock/metal drums was a lot of fun and some of those drums are so huge and heavy sounding. Even some of the gongs are just so big and deep sounding and ring out forever. It did take me a few weeks to wrap my head around it all and figure out how I wanted to mix it. But I am quite satisfied with the results and final mix. It’s big while still being dynamic, punchy, and full. I already have a Full Dynamic Range master ready for vinyl when the time comes that sounds even clearer and better than the version I released.
Is there more fuel in the tank? Plans for Vol. 2?
NO: I’ve already started working on Vol. 2 while I have the time. It probably will be kind of similar to the first one, but I’ll be using completely different sounds and instruments from other parts of the world again. There are so many different sounds and instruments out there, why keep using the same ones over and over? I’m hoping by the time the next one is finished, I will have found a record label to release them both.
Can we expect anything else from any of your other projects?
NO: We are working on recording the new Necrochamber album. Preproduction is finished and we will hopefully start recording the drums soon. Originally, I was planning on recording an EP. I have enough songs for maybe 2 full albums. But with the line up change early last year, everything got postponed once again. And we decided we will record a full length instead. Hoping to have the next album recorded and finished by the end of the 2025.
Don’t Leave Just Yet…
I’d like to thank Nocturnal Overlord for his time and a chance to talk with him on his experience writing/recording this new album. Great job! I can’t wait to hear more of whats to come.
In case you missed it, be sure to also check out more Metal Swap content. There are tickets to Mayhem to give away and I think Brian may have some more hotsauce available.
-Eric Reeder