NOCTURNAL DEPRESSION-Spleen Black Metal
- By Ian Pardi
- Jun 13, 2015
- 3 min read
Avantgarde Music | Release Date: 8 June 2015 | Genre: Depressive Black Metal | Origin: France
I can’t help but notice the buzz generated by many recent black metal abums. The internet and many prominent music mags have been singing praises about more innovative and recent bands such as Deafheaven and Ghost Bath. Given that black metal is a genre that frequently features one-man acts who don’t face the rigors of touring and simply record and release music, we are inevitably faced with an almost oversaturation of new black metal.
Amongst the mire of these releases - some good, some bad, and some downright ugly - surfaces Spleen Black Metal, the new album from French depressive black metalers Nocturnal Depression. If you couldn’t tell from the band name, these guys are a sad bunch, and their unending grief is quite apparent in this release. The seven song, 46ish minute album delivers exactly what it promises in a depressing wave of pure, sorrowful black metal. The production is considerably decent, given black metal’s history of lo-fi recorded-in-a-tin-can sounding albums. The guitars are clear and audible, the bass is present, and the drums and vocals are defined and not muddy. The entire record is quite evenly mixed, I would say, to where the instruments don’t overpower each other and sound quite well recorded. This makes it easier to appreciate the music itself instead of its sound quality.
The album starts off (and continues for its entireity) on a somber note, with the short opening track “Elégie” delivering what is basically the motif of the album – meandering, dissonant guitar riffs, raw black metal shrieks, and crisp drumming. The track’s brevity works well as it delivers a potent taste of what is to come and ends before becoming unwanted or repetitive. The next track, “L'isolement,” continues in this vein, with cleaner guitar lines trading off with malevolent sounding tremelo picked riffs. The riffs themselves are usually mid-tempo to a slight jog, speedwise, but when they do kick into overdrive and get faster, such as in the third track, “Acédie,” it is sure to inspire many a leatherclad black metaller to bang their head in unison with the darkness emanating from the speakers. The third track is also coincidentally where the band decides to change things up with a surprisingly uplifting riff coming in at roughly 3 and a half minutes in. Although it seems misplaced in such a dark song, it remained the most memorable part of the track for me, and as it continues and changes, an underlying beauty is revealed beneath the dark, mournful atmosphere of the music, reminding me of Ghost Bath, or perhaps some softer Burzum material.
Apart from that, the record seems to ceaselessly roll along, occasionally highlighted by exceptionally good pieces of songs. The 4th track,“Méditation Grisâtre,” lumbers and lurches with all the grace of pallbearers at a funeral, but boasts some nice cello throughout. “Un Immense Désespoir” continues the funeral march with clean guitars and surprisingly audible and independent basslines set against harsh screams, but at this point in the album I found myself to be a little overfamiliar with the motif. Track 6, “Remords Posthume” is a 9 minute epic dirge. All the elements found in the previous tracks are brought to fruition with this one, the raw and dissonant riffs, the solid drumming, the mournful guitar and bass lines, and the furied shrieking vocals. This track builds nicely, picking up momentum as it stomps its way through the graveyard. Towards the middle of the song we are treated to a very calming clean guitar and bass interlude which serves as a nice rest from the mid-tempo pounding of the heavy bits. Of course, it all picks up again at the end, barelling towards a climax and ending with just vocals and clean guitar.
The final track, “Spleen Black Metal,” brings back the clean guitars and the cello present in “Méditation Grisàtre” but falls back into the usual pattern of mid-tempo drear and leaves me wishing that the album had ended with “Remords Posthume.”
When all is said and done Spleen Black Metal is a decent album with impressive production and a solid sound. The only deficiency is the lack of outstanding material. I found myself enjoying the album while listening to it but only specifically recalling a few especially interesting points per each song, some of which necessitated multiple re-listens.
Nocturnal Depression have succeeded in crafting a solid album. The production itself is very good, and probably the most impressive thing about the record. Is it innovative, new, fresh and interesting? In some places I felt so, but in many others not as much. I would recommend this album to black metal fans, but it is hardly required listening.
Score: 6/10
Favorite Tracks: Acédie, Remords Posthume
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