Noctule: From The Ashes of the Erdtree
From the emotional final chapter of SVALBARD’s last ever performance at ArcTanGent in August to the release of her sophomore NOCTULE album, the last few months have represented a period of profound transition for Serena Cherry. Regarded as one of the most distinct figures in modern British metal, her creative journey has entered a new phase through NOCTULE, a project that channels her passion for video games, metal and storytelling to collide. With the release of new album Extinguish Thy Flame, we sat down with Cherry to discuss closing the book on SVALBARD, finding inspiration in the punishing world of Elden Ring and why creative freedom remains the driving force behind everything she does.
The timing of Extinguish Thy Flame is impossible to ignore. Within the space of a month, SVALBARD played their final ever show while she prepared to unveil her second NOCTULE album. For many, such a seismic change would be overwhelming but for Cherry, it feels like a carefully planned passing of the torch.
“It still hasn’t really sunk in, to be honest,” she admits when reflecting on SVALBARD’s farewell performance. “That was our last ever show, but I was really blown away seeing the amount of SVALBARD shirts in the crowd. One of the first ever festivals we played was ArcTanGent as a baby band so just being able to finish it there with such a passionate crowd was everything we could have asked for really.”
Yet, rather than dwelling on endings, Cherry has spent the last two years laying foundations for what comes next. “SVALBARD played their final show in August and I’m releasing my second solo album in September, only a month apart,” she explains. “It was something I always wanted to, to keep NOCTULE fresh after SVALBARD, and to have that album ready to go as soon as possible. It’s taken me two years to write it, so I’m really glad to have it there waiting, ready to go!”
While 2021’s debut, Wretched Abyss, drew heavily from the world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Extinguish Thy Flame finds its inspiration elsewhere. Since release, Elden Ring has become of of gaming’s defining modern masterpieces, praised for its decaying beauty and punishing difficulty, but for Cherry, the game’s significance extends far beyond entertainment. “I’d always thought that NOCTULE would be video game themed as opposed to purely Skyrim themed,” she says. “I wanted that freedom to make albums about every game that inspired me. That’s the whole point of a solo project, to me, it’s that creative freedom. Being able to write about the games that touch my heart, the games that saved my life, as Elden Ring did, that game really taught me to never give up and just have nothing set in stone. I think I can pinpoint the moment exactly, and her name is Rellana. She’s a boss quite early on in the game, the colour palette and the magical themes of that just really struck a chord with me.”
The deeper she ventured into the game, pouring hours after hours into the vast lore of the Lands Between, the more material that would shape NOCTULE’s sophomore album presented itself. “It just kind of wrote itself, to be honest with you. There’s so many epic bosses in that game, there’s so many moments that have the grandeur and intensity of metal that it just made so much sense to write an album about it.”
Musically, Extinguish Thy Flame also represents a noticeable evolution for NOCTULE. Whilst the debut established the project’s atmospheric black metal foundations, reflective of Skyrim’s frozen tundra and mountainous peaks, the new record incorporates a stronger melodic death metal influence, drawing from bands such as INSOMNIUM, KALMAH and early ARCH ENEMY.
“I’ve always been big into melodeath,” Cherry grins. “It’s always been a huge, huge influence on my guitar playing, searching for those infectious leads, those intertwined melodies. I think with Extinguish Thy Flame, you can hear the confidence compared to the first album. Just having the confidence to really dive a little more into melodeath and explore my limits as a guitar player.”
That willingness to challenge expectations extends beyond the music itself. Extinguish Thy Flame arrives as a self-release, as the stack of packaged vinyls behind Cherry as we talk via Zoom shows, a conscious decision rooted in independence rather than convenience. “It’s really daunting to go from being a band on Nuclear Blast Records and having that engine behind everything we do to doing everything yourself,” she admits. “But all of this project, to me, it’s about creative freedom. I don’t want to have to answer to anyone.”
In many ways, Extinguish Thy Flame feels like a journal of personal renewal, channelled through the world and lore of the game that saved her life. After all, it was Elden Ring that she credits with teaching her to never give up, providing both the creative spark and emotional foundation to shape her second solo record. What began with a single encounter in Liurnia of the Lakes eventually evolved into an album shaped by grandeur, tragedy, and resilience woven throughout the game’s mythology. Much like a Tarnished rising once more after another defeat (although let’s be real it’s a FromSoft game, it’s going to be in the hundreds here), NOCTULE emerges stronger, more confident, and more ambitious. If this record is any indication, Serena Cherry’s latest journey is only just beginning.
Extinguish Thy Flame is out now via self-release. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS133 here.
Like NOCTULE on Facebook.
