The Spartanburg/Greenville deathers Lecherous Nocturne are probably best known for having Nile-guitarist Dallas Toler Wade drumming in the band, but this is not really fair as the music should speak for itself. Musically the band mix death, black and thrash metal together. Not exactly an untried cocktail, but it works just the way it should. I hear visible references to Marduk, Incantation and Morbid Angel in the music, but the Lecherous Nocturne does provide the music with some identity, so it never becomes an issue, but more of an asset.

The band is clearly a well-oiled unit, and this immediately becomes apparent once "Kampagne" sets in. The music is well played and bursts out of both energy and intensity. The songs are fairly varied, and Lecherous Nocturne is good at combining all-out brutality with slower and moodier bits. This perfectly comes to show in "Kampagne", "Release in Flame" and "A Path to a Deity". Recorded in SoundLab Studio, the album has got a fat and powerful sound that helps taking the music a few inches further. Musically there's really no weak spots on Adoration of the Blade, but a solo or two for the sake of diversity wouldn't hurt anyone.

Adoration of the Blade holds nothing revolutionary, but it's nevertheless still a very powerful effort that should appeal to fans of Immolation, Marduk, Dark Funeral and Morbid Angel. The only real downside about the album that I can think of is that it's too short. Clocking only around the 24 minutes is not a lot, but Lecherous Nocturne prove that they are a band to keep an ear out for, and I for one will be looking forward to the follow-up to Adoration of the Blade.