"Intro (Here We Come)" is a clever way to introduce the album. The beat is slow and spooky as they say in the background "Here we come, here we come, If you're a dedicated soldier, say here we come.." Starang Wondah from OGC (Originoo Gun Clappaz) opens the album with a little spoken word.. Big Rock does the rhyme which uses every title on the album: "My soldiers gone psycho let the madness begin (let it begin)-Enter the square if you dare bring a friend- We-a snipe ya, we see in the dark like an owl- So we prowl understand the plan is operation lockdown..." It's a great way to kick the album off. It's not a stupid skit nor is it a bunch of bullsh*t... it's a little song which has the potential to be a bigger one.

The next song is "Letha Brainz Blo" where the chorus is said by Rock and Ruck is in the background: "Let the madness begin nigga, let it begin- Let the madness begin and let the brainz blo if you grin..." This is a mellow song too but the sampled melody is somewhat upbeat. This is another cool way to kick the album off.

"Understand" is a much more upbeat song with a cathy chorus. Still, Rock and Ruck maintain their hardcore BCC soldier roots in the chorus as the flow back and forth: "[Rock] Undastand - [Ruck] Heltah Skeltah only mean war, undastand - [Rock] The war's with everything outside your door, undastand - [Ruck] He be R-O, I be R-U, undastand - [both] It can happen to you.."  This is a very commercial sounding song due to the beat and the catchy chorus but it does maintain their hardcore appeal.. It's not annoying nor is it boring. I actually like it.

"Who Dat?" is a short little song which starts off in a skit form where they are smoking weed somewhere and someone knocks on the door. There's no chorus to this song. Ruck kicks the first real rhyme with a dope flow as usual: "Just kick some T-A-W-L to the Sean- Drop bombs makes me holier than Qu'rans- or Bibles, Sean's your idol, upon my arrival - upon Earth I was blessed at birth with these fuckin recitals.." Then, Rock kicks his rhyme with his usual low, deep voice...

"Sean P" is one of the weaker songs. Though I think Sean Price is a dope lyricist and emcee, this particular song is just weak compared to the others. It's long, slow and Sean sing the chorus: "I'm not sure anymore more- who is knocking at my door door - all the people that i knew - acted funnyy when big Ruck got some loot - but they can't see B, let my parabellum fly fly  - cause i be god decipher devine vine - and a nigga can't test me an mine mine  - if you wanna come feel it, nigga come but twice..." Illa Noyz does drop a dope verse on the track. Unfortunately, the beat is a little too slow and the song is just too long. Still, Ruck shows his wild style in his wild lyrics: "Word is bond Jovi - niggas don't know me - Hoes blow me show me affection for constant erection..."

The next song is a cool, hardcore joint called "Clan's, Posse's, Crew's, & Clik's".  Rock makes it a point to get Ruck to show up "b*tch ass n*ggaz" out in the street who claim to be flowing and rhyming. Evil D of the Beatminerz did the beat and it's dope. The chorus is pure hardcore hip-hop: "Clans, posses, crews and cliks-  All y'all b*tch n*ggaz can suck my d*ck -Cliks, posses, crews and clans- Can't none of y'all n*ggaz f*ck with me and my man..." This is a dope song!

"Therapy" features Vinia Mojica doing the chorus.. You may remember her from "Verses From The Abstract" by A Tribe Called Quest or "K.O.S. Determination" by Mos Def & Talib Kweli as Black Star. The concept is orginal. Rock only thinks of violence so he sees docter kill-patient played by Ruck. Vinia sing the R&B hook : "I need a doctor to give me some therapy. I need a doctor to check out my brain..." Ruck and Rock do an excellent job flowing together.. They set the whole lyrical scene up and stick to the subject. Since Rock has such a stressful life of being involved in gunplay and getting hassled by the cops, Ruck ends the song with a wonderful prescription: "Bust the prognosis, better yet Duke have a dosage -of prescribed poetry that people perceive as potent - I've been goin through your file and I found a conclusion - That you destined to be the best in this world of confusion - You lose when you fall victim to evil waaays - I know crime pays but the rhyme slays nowadays..."  Instead of pills, Ruck gives Rock two mics to have him call him in the morning. This is a classic hip-hop conversation song. The R&B hook is typical and commercial but her voice is nice and smooth and the hook doesn't carry the song, the rhymes do.

"Place To Be" is a short song with Rock and Ruck causing the usual chaos. They go back and forth with the chorus: "Place to be is on my side duke- Cause you don't wanna be the target when I fly the coupe ..." It's a cool, short song with the chorus in the begining and the end...

"Soldiers Gone Psyco" is a cool hardcore song which gives their Boot Camp army image into the light. The chorus is strong and hard especially with a lyric like "Say "I" if you're not scared to die!You could look a nightmare straight in the eye... soldiers gone psycho!.." This is a dark song but very cool!

"The Square (Triple R)" features The Representativz.. It's a pretty cool song but not one of the strongest. They keep on repeating  "3 (or E)  equals MC square!" It's a cool song but not the best. It's better than the usual filler on rap albums...

"Da Wiggy" is a weird and wild song with a thick, basement, break beat. Produced by Mr. Walt for Da Beatminerz, the music is dope along with the special voice effects used in the background for that high effect. As they say in the chorus, "We don't give a... (what?)." The weird vocals go "Wiggy...wiggy, wiggy, wiggy" It's much more weird than silly. There's nothing wrong with that.. I'm glad to see hip-hop going in that direction. Still, it's the only cut where Heltah Skeltah get really weird on. "Gettin Ass Gettin Ass" is a little skit where Ruck calls this woman up...It's sort of the "Deez Nutz" of the east coast without the vulgarity... nothing special.

"Leflaur Leflah Eshkoska" is a moden classic hardcore hip-hop jam. Though when I first heard it, I did not like it as much as I do now... but the beat is dope, the chorus is classic hip-hop while the rhymes of the Fab 5 (OGC and Heltah Skeltah) are classical hardcore expression. The chorus is extremely simple and catchy but has that cool call-response feel: "Yes yes y'all (yes y'all) - O.G.C., Heltah Skeltah be the best y'all (best y'all)- Fab 5 slam from East to West y'all (West y'all) - Sound pound straight through your bubble vest y'all (vest y'all) - and check yo chest y'all (chest y'all)..." Everbody in OGC and Heltah Skeltah shines in their rhymes...  Starang Wondah kicks the rhymes off with his classic lyrics : "Ay curumba Strang gun clappa number - one on tha set man I cut ya like lumber - still play the back in my thundergear down to my underwear - make all you motherfuckers wonder where ... I come from..." Ruck does a dope job kicking dope rhymes with a dope flow : "I'm drastic, when it comes to verbs I be flippin- Cuz herbs jus be shittin off the words I be kickin.."  Towards the end, they go back and forth, line for line mastering their hip-hop jobs. The rhymes sell this song.. They are catchy, yet hardcore, and classic.. This is a dope jam!!!! Probably, the dopest on the album.

"Prowl" features Louieville Sluggah from OGC and uses the same sample as "Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me)" by Portishead. I don't know who used it first... Still, this is an errie song but I'm so use to Portishead that it kind of takes away the creativity of it.. Ussually, I skip this track but it's not bad...It's just not very dope.

"Grate Unknown" is another track which is somewhat not as strong as the rest of the album. They use a sample where the singer goes "Into the horizon.. The great unkown". This is not as strong as the other tracks though it is not bad...

Finally, "Operation Lockdown" closes the album..  This is a dope song with a dope beat and cool yet spooky sampled  melody. The vocal layering make the track doper with layered effects...Very high and smoked out song without being annoying. The chorus is cool: "This is the B.C.C., N Double D -In the Ninety-Now we lock it down -This is the B.C.C., N Double D -In the Ninety-Now we lock it down..." Buckshot even sneaks a couple of words in the song too.. It's a dope way to end the album but then... the beat comes back... The track is repeated with the same begining of Sean Price talking as Dejesus about the state of hip-hop... This time, instead of the rhymes, Dejesus talks more about hip-hop... the drugs, Versace, etc... It's a very funny hidden track using the same beat & chorus as "Operation Lockdown".  It shows that the BCC are pioneers and innovators in the hip-hop world as well as mavericks.

Overall, the album is dope but in my opinion, Ruck was correct when he said on the song "Worldwide (Rock the World)" when "Magnum Force" has to be "Just like the last album only better".. In my opinion, "Nocturnal" is not as good of an album as the newer "Magnum Force".. Still, "Nocturnal" is a very cool album. There is a little more filler than the new joint but Heltah Skeltah are an original and refreshing hip-hop force. Along with BCC, they do a dope job! The beats are all cool... There's not one wack beat on the entire album. The lyrics of Rock and Ruck are all dope too. No one's lyrics are wack since the subject matter is very realistic and very hardcore. When they try to be funny, they come off funny and not stupid. The production is good too. The Beatminerz did a dope job along with Executive Producer, Buckshot, Da BDI Emcee. For the most part, Heltah Skeltah are very original. Only on "Prowl" where they use the same sample as Portishead do they sound unoriginal.. The sentiment is still hardcore.  The album flows well but the filler does drag it down a bit. "Sean Price" and "Grate Unknown" are a little overdone and long but for the most part, the album flows well. Rock and Ruck are very hardcore , street-orientated individuals who work well with each other. As Rock has a deep, low voice, Ruck's voice is normal as he can represent the average street fighting man in Brooklyn. Still, fans of Heltah Skeltah and the Boot Camp Clik will love this album... If you do not have any Heltah Skeltah, I would reccomend "Magnum Force" before "Nocturnal" but still, with the beats, rhymes, and themes, Heltah Skeltah's debut album "Nocturnal" will get you through any evening...
Beats: 9/10.
Lyrics: 9/10.
Production: 9/10.
Originality/Creativity: 8.5/10
Album Flow: 9/10.
Hardcore Rating : 9/10.
[ Overall Rating : 9/10 ]

Todd E. Jones