Meaning of "Nocturnal" by The Black Dahlia Murder

The lyrics of "Nocturnal" delve into the macabre and explore themes of bloodlust, worship of darkness, and the rejection of conventional norms. The opening lines, "Between the lies, our dead language tongues / Before the dawns, our hearts they shall hunt," set a sinister tone and suggest a group of individuals with a shared secret language and a shared purpose of pursuing darkness. The lyrics allude to a voyeuristic pleasure derived from the smell and sight of blood, describing it as something that excites the senses and triggers a fervent devotion.

The lyrics also touch upon an obsession with violence and the grotesque, with lines like "A distorted dialect for the draining of veins / To the flooding of bed sheets with sick crimson rain." Here, the act of inflicting pain and the physical aftermath are depicted as a form of worship, with the language used to describe it being intentionally warped and debased.

The mention of "poisons in their goblets" and "plasmatic prose" suggests a deliberate intention to spread darkness and corruption. The language used to describe these acts is skillful and sickening, reinforcing the sense that the speaker revels in their ability to articulate and participate in violence.

The repeated reference to a "warped diction of scriptures befouled" implies a rejection of traditional religious and moral codes. The figures presented in the lyrics, like the "Father" and the "unholy one," represent a defiance of and devotion to a different kind of power - one that thrives in the darkness and revels in the abhorrent.

Ultimately, "Nocturnal" can be interpreted as a celebration of night, violence, and bloodlust, with a rejection of societal norms and a willingness to embrace the darkness within. It speaks to a sense of power and identity found in deviating from the accepted path and embracing a deeply unsettling and brutal existence.