By Phil Cooper
Something is stirring in the heart of Norwegian black metal. Nadir, newcomers with a combined pedigree steeped in the roots of the country’s BM scene have arrived with a heavyweight four track EP. Taking a collective inspiration from past projects and pulling together a fast, aggressive and melodic sound. Charged with energy they’re seeking to take up the banner for BM and surge to the forefront.
The title track opens the EP and no time is wasted with the band setting out their style. Rapid fire drums dominate the intro with the guitars picking up the pace with crashing riffs. The weight and power that Nadir are looking to produce is exemplified by this track as it grows. The guitars pick up a doom-laden drive with the riffs coming in with a deep brooding style, all the while the crashing drums provide a colossal rhythmic foundation. As the track flows the time signature shifts creating a sonic pull for the listener as the mood changes. It’s not all oppressive though, the track opens out and the guitar led melody is allowed to take the fore in the mix and offer a sweeping scope that further enhances the sonic interest. With so much texture and techniques employed throughout it’d be easy for the track to get lost within itself, however the song writing of Nadir is such that it remains measured and controlled at every turn with each element working for the combined goal and providing a solid introduction to their style.
The power generated by the opening track is not lost at any point within these four tracks. ‘Trishul’ picks up on similar sonic elements from the title track with the aggressive rhythm section matching the intensity of the guitar work and combining once more to provide a compelling yet crushing sound. The vocals cut through the mix with the traditional stylistic guttural quality of black metal and match the heavy fury of the music created. Once more, it’s not just the sledgehammer rhythm that catches the listener, there are well crafted intricate melody lines at work that provide a great counterpoint and draw the listener in further. With that said, the breakdown that sees ‘Trishul’ to a close is one of the heaviest on this EP and is catchy in its crushing weight.
Over the course of these four tracks, Nadir have certainly been able to showcase their style and what they’re here to achieve. ‘Tungetale’ and closer ‘The Wasteland of Man’ never once let up with the intensity shown from the two preceding tracks and only add more to the heavy weight sound of the band. Their hold of the genre and understanding that while there is a necessity for powerful, driving aggression in the rhythms, there is also a need to couple melody and element changes to retain the sonic interest. The mix of the EP offers the listener the chance to hear each instrument clearly and how they combine to create the overall picture while still retaining the raw edge that is common to black metal. It’s to early to suggest whether or not Nadir will become a driving force within the future of BM. However, it’s definite that they’ve created an excellent introduction for themselves that will hopefully lead to a full album and more.
- ‘The Great Dying’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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