Twilight

At first blush, the sound of Dallas goth outfit Nocturne feels dated in its forced spookiness. Uncomplimentary comparisons to Marilyn Manson naturally come to mind at first. After all, the two groups have much in common — most notably, drummer Sara Lee Lucas. On its 1999 debut, Twilight, Nocturne belches out a plaintive and seemingly calculated mix of industrial/gothic metal that only reveals itself after repeated listens. Lacey Conner is both a blessing and a curse. She snarls her way through verse after tired verse like a vampire suffering from food poisoning. The pained regurgitation of so many familiar industrial/goth images is off-putting at first, but like a few Texas metal howlers before her, Conner manages to put a dynamic vocal stamp on her band's sound. What at first appears to be a limitation becomes Nocturne's greatest strength, especially on standout numbers like "Pride Must Be Sacrificed" and "Sub-Mission." The production, arrangements, and musical performances offer little in the way of support for Conner, who ends up carrying Twilight with her quirky but affective delivery. Nocturne has since done better, but this Triple-X offering exudes enough vitality (courtesy of Conner) to warrant a recommendation.