Review: Needle – Fall

Style: Djent, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock (mixed vocals, majority clean)
Recommended for fans of: Reliqa, Ok Goodnight, Sordid Pink, Destiny Potato
Review by: Doug
Country: Portugal
Release date: 4 April, 2023

Possibly one of the most prevalent opinions that I’ve come across in the prog community is that djent is overdone. It’s boring, it’s cheap mimicry, it isn’t used in original ways that sufficiently advance this ever-advancing genre. On the whole, I find this view simplistic and self-fulfilling; naturally, the more innovative and exciting groups like TesseracT are exempted as “the good ones” while the up-and-comers receive all the criticism for following too closely in the footsteps of genre leaders. However, even this hasty generalization occasionally hits upon the truth, and I must agree that monotonous formulaic djent is truly unexciting to listen to.

Having set a negative tone to start this review, I’d like to do a quick backtrack and acknowledge that there’s quite a bit of room for creativity even within such a saturated style. Needle first caught my eye due to their juxtaposition of female vocals against rough djent rhythms, providing something of a unique signature style which helps them stand out. Although the djentiness itself is plenty generic, Soraia Silva’s voice adds a lightness which – when used well – sets Fall into a more distinct category. Supported by ethereal and jazzy tones at times like the beginning of the title track and “Calliope,” the soft and sweet vocals call to mind groups like Ok Goodnight or the lesser-known Anchor Thought who pair jazz lounge-singer sensibilities with progressive metal. Other parts of the album (such as the back half of “Calliope”), where Silva instead stands against moody, distorted guitars, provide welcome contrast which makes those beginning moments feel all the lighter, but the heaviness also comes with more of djent’s generic tendencies, with unfocused rhythms and melodies that lack development and depth despite how long they continue on.

Indeed, behind the vocals there’s not a whole lot to appreciate. A few ear-grabbing guitar solos find themselves sprinkled throughout, but otherwise, it’s all pretty uniform. Where Silva’s singing comes with well-constructed self-harmonies which add much-needed depth to Needle’s melodies, the djent-focused instrumentals which fill most of the tracks seem to focus on being thick and heavy to the exclusion of all else, as though the heavy mood is meant to justify its own existence – but it doesn’t. The djent style has a way of homogenizing music through crunchy distortion and repetitive, chugging guitar strokes, and without making efforts to minimize that impact (or at least, not succeeding at it), the homogenization brings down the energy of the whole album. These parts fall short of the promise made by flowing, melodic openings by failing to integrate either the elements that make those parts of their music unique, or the elements that make heavy and rhythm-forward music enjoyable to listen to.

Fall stitches together contrasting fabrics, bright against dark, emerging as a new weave altogether. Those opposites can balance each other well, in the moments that set aside the overwrought and underdeveloped djent byproducts and allow the band’s more distinct, softer tone to headline instead of plying heaviness for its own sake. On the whole, though, I think Needle have missed the point of the genre they’re stepping into; although some listeners are drawn to djent’s intense, distorted atmosphere, the best such bands also appeal to their audience with strong and complex rhythms that drive a unique feeling of musical evolution. Instead, the unfocused composition that defines this album prevents any of the wandering threads from developing into compelling embroidery.

Recommended tracks: Elude, Calliope, Castles
You may also like: Dear Apollo, Intrøspect, Anchor Thought
Final verdict: 5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Independent

Needle is:
– Soraia Silva (vocals)
– Luís Costa (guitars)
– Tiago Sousa (guitars)
– Kevin Mota (bass)
– Luís Pereira (drums)
With guests:
– Dan Vesca (harsh vocals, “Warden”)
– Telmo Ribeiro (saxophone, “Warden”)