Showing posts with label Norilsk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norilsk. Show all posts

Saturday, June 4, 2022

Norilsk/Beyond The Mountains/Hypnotic Dirge Records/2022 EP Review

 


  Quebec,  Canada's  Norilisk  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  ep  "Beyond  The  Mountains"  which  was  released  by  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records.


  Dark  yet  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  ep  while  elements  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  can  also be  heard  in  the  songs.  Both  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  and  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  briefly.


  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark,  melancholic  yet  melodic  style.  Post  metal  style  melodies  can  also  be  heard  at  times  which  also  updates  the  ep  for  the  modern  eta  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Spoken  word  parts  and  clean  playing  can  also be  heard  briefly  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.


  On  this  recording  Norilisk  focuses  more  on  a  melodic  doom/death  metal  style  as  well  as  keeping  some  of  the  elements  of  black,  sludge  and  post  metal  that  where  present  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  Inuit  High  Artic  Relocations  in  Canada  during t he  mid  20th  century.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Norilisk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Beyond  the  Horizon".  8  out  of  10.


https://norilskdoom.bandcamp.com/releases      


      


  

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Norilsk/Weepers Of The Land/Hypnotic Dirge Records/2018 CD Review


  Norilsk  are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Weepers  Of  The  Land"  which  will  be  released  on  October  12  by  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records.

  Clean  yet  distorted  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  slower  riffs  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals a re  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks are  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples,  elements  of  post  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction,  clean  vocals  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Norilsk  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  French  and  cover  History  and  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Norilsk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "No  Sacred  Ground"  and  "Weepers  Of  The  Land".  8  out  of  10. 

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Monday, November 20, 2017

Norilsk Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Le passage des glaciers is being released on November 24, which means we are currently preparing all the pre-orders, including a new shirt designed by Misanthropic-Art.com. We also have a new lyric video for the song ''Noirceur intérieure'', to be premiered the same week. The band has been rehearsing for the album release show, planned on December 8th, in Ottawa. Aside from this, there is always plenty of planning, booking, and media communication surrounding a new release, which keeps us busy.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The previous releases were rough around the edges, intentionnally imperfect, and full of fuzz/distortion texture. The new album is more melodic, colder in texture, its structure are a little more varied, and overall the lyrics are more personal. I think people will recognize the guitars and the general sound that we developed previously, but with a few tweaks in the amps setting and mixing. We are very pleased with the work of Mike Bond, producer/engineer at Wolf Lake Studios, who has been instrumental in defining our sound on this album.

3.Your lyrics cover mythological and historical themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

Most of our lyrics are in French, which may create a bit of mystery, and sometimes confusion. We had this song ''Japetus'' on the previous album, which has been interpreted by many from the standpoint of mythology (Japetus was a Greek titan); however the lyrics are about the former Japetus (or Iapetus) ocean, which we use as a metaphor to our music. We take a great interest in history and culture, but when we incorporate it into our artistic universe it's symbolic or a means to express something. For example, on the new album, we have a song called ''Namolennye'', which uses cultural space and religious objects (icons and iconostasis) to express a certain form of passage and estrangement.

4.I know that the band was named after a city in Siberia, Russia, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

I would say it's isolated, harsh, cold, nordic, vast, and beautiful like our brand of death-doom metal.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Each of us may pick different shows, but mine would probably be the Black Mourning Light Festival in Edmonton, October 2016, and the Earslaughter Festival in Montreal, June 2016. I have been told that our stage performance sheds a different light on Norilsk; I think our shows are equal parts solemn and heavy. This contrast can be witnessed by moments when the music is slow and the crowd is contemplative, and other times when we pick up the beat and deliver solid headbanging.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

The album release show is planned on December 8th, at House of Targ in Ottawa. Mostly because of Winter in this part of the world, we do not plan to hit the road before the Spring. It is our intention to play dates in Central/Eastern Canada in the Spring, with the possibility of a tour later in the Fall. We will definitely consider any reasonable invitation in 2018.

7.On the albums the band works as a duo but has another line-up for live shows, are you open to expanding the line up in the studio?

This is something we will probably discuss and consider every time we hit the studio, so the answer to your question is yes/maybe. Vision, time, commitment, contribution, interpersonal compatibility, and budget are considerations that would continue guiding our decision in that regard. For this last recording session, Nick Richer and I had a clear idea of what we wanted, musically speaking, and our intention was to move through the studio process relatively quickly; this is why we recorded everything just the two of us with engineer Mike Bond, and opted for guest musicians.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of the more dark and extreme genres of metal?

Without pretending to please everyone in these genres, it is clear to me that a majority of dark and extreme music fans are more open-minded than the 'mainstream' type of audience—even when it comes to commercial metal. As you know, black, death-doom, sludge metal and similar genres benefit from a certain niche, which in return provides international reach. Quantitatively, Norilsk probably received more positive comments from UK, or US; but the amazing thing with the underground scene and extreme genres is that there will always be someone across the globe that will listen to your music and connect to it; whether it's in our hometown or in Norilsk, Russia.

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that the band members are a part of?

It's true that we play in a constellation of bands, and some of these have been very active lately. Nick's long-standing band Outrage AD is scheduled to release an album through Nosral Recordings this Winter; my other band Mortör has released its third album last Spring; I also released an EP with a collective called TGRE in September; our live guitarists Tom and Chris have been busy releasing a split with their band Fumigation last Spring, and Tom released a solo album.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

It's hard to say where this will lead us, but it does not exclude exploration, or revisiting some of the harsher sides of the first album (ex. funeral, or sludge). Among the things we want to maintain however, are elements of both continuity and progression between the albums; like a reference and a dialogue, while we undertake the next chapter.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Le passage des glaciers contains music that was composed from 2013 to 2017; during this period, we drank from the fountain of death-doom to compose this album, especially using influences like Paradise Lost, old Katatonia, October Tide, and Morgion. Having said that, we probably listen to old and new bands equally, and genres ranging from black metal, funeral doom, death, thrash, sludge, post-everything, dark wave, and much more. Tonight, for example, I was listening to the latest Kauan, Bell Witch, and Zao.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

For me, I'd say architecture and history; for Nick Richer, probably photography and beer reviewing.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

I would like to acknowledge the help of our good friend Nic Skog at Hypnotic Dirge Records, who worked hard for releasing and promoting this album, and respecting our artistic vision. Visit the label's website and check out the great black and doom albums released under the HDR banner.

Also, a special thanks to you for your time organizing this interview, and for listening to our music.

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Friday, October 27, 2017

Norilsk/Le Passage Des Glaciers/Hypnotic Dirge Records/2017 CD Review


  Norilsk are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Le  Passage  Des  Glaciers"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion.

  A  great  portion  of  the tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  deep  death  metal  growls  start  to  make  their  presence  known  along  with  the  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  also  adding  in  elements  of  post  rock  when  they  are  utilized.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording   while  the  tremolo  picking  also  brings  in  influences  from  that  genre  along    melodic  vocals  also  being  used  briefly  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  elements  of  dark  metal. 

  Norilsk  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  back,  dark,  doom,  sludge,  death  and  post  metal and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  mythology  and  history  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Norilsk  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  post,  doom and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Le  Puits De  I'  oubl"  "La  Voie  Des  Morts"  and  "L'  Erosion  (Passage  Part  II)".  8  out  of  10.

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