Music: Avant-Garde Black Metal
Country: Norway/UK
Website: http://www2.hvweb.co.uk/~svs/code/
Cool Songs: The Cotton Optic, Brass Dogs, A Cloud Fermented Teardrop Asylum
is an artful black metal gathering of members of VED BUENS ENDE, ULVER, DODHEIMSGARD, and the British band, VOID. Nouveau Gloaming, which translates to New Twilight is a fitting title for this album. It bridges the gap between the new styles of avant-garde black metal that were first explored by ARCTURUS, and old school primitive black metal.
After first reading the bio, I found myself barely agreeing with the above description. However, a closer listen brought out all the idiosyncrasies and subtle nuances. Tracks like Brass Dogs with its distant, static beginning or the sluggish pace of A Cloud Fermented Teardrop Asylum that gradually builds in tension show the bands willingness to experiment.
Vocalist, Kvohst is no stranger to experimentation, having played in one of the innovators of avant-garde black metal, DODHEIMSGARD. Kvohsts vocals are diverse, alternating between clean, bard-like crooning and black metal vocals. The clean vocals dont hit the heroic highs like a Garm or I.C.S. Vortex nor do they relate any Viking traits. At first, his vocals were familiar, but hard to pin down who his vocal style resembles. Subsequence listens really brought to mind a young Garm (ex-ARCTURS, ex-BORKNAGAR, ULVER).
The other aspect that brings to mind the Nouveau is found in the song writing. The lyrics bear no resemblance to the typical black metal, Satan/Viking lyrics. Instead, each songs lyrics are a snapshot of a dark poet relating his paranoid, nihilistic thoughts. Most of the lyrics are in free form without any type of rhyme pattern, which is also a Nouveau stylethe contemporary style of poetry writing.
Whether sung cleanly or harshly, Kvohsts vocals support the dark, existential lyrics. The music also relates this mood well. The guitars maintain this apocalyptic feel, like only black metal bands know how to do. Vyttras guitar work consists of tremolo rhythms that hover around the same note before climbing or falling. Listeners can tell this band features members of VED BEUNS ENDE due to this guitar style. Black metal vocals combined with thrashier moments like the albums opener The Cotton Optic bring to mind ENSLAVED.
Nouveau Gloaming is a collectible album for fans of the groups other bands, and the future promises an even better outing. They have announced their next album will feature I.C.S. Vortex (DIMMU BORGIR, ARCTURUS) on vocals and Asgeir Mickelson (IHSAHN, BORKNAGAR) as the sessions drummer.
note: 8/10
Tracklist
1. The Cotton Optic
2. Brass Dogs
3. An Enigma In Brine
4. A Cloud Formed Teardrop Asylum
5. Aeon In Cinders
6. Tyburn
7. Radium
8. Ghost Formula
Total playing time 53:54
Line-up
Kvohst – Vocals
Aiwarikiar (Erik O. Lancelot) – Drums
Vyttra – Guitars
Viper (Yusaf “Vicotnik“ Parvez ) – Bass/Backing Vocals
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