Style: deathcore, doom metal, thall (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Black Tongue, Humanity’s Last Breath, Vildhjarta
Review by: Andy
Country: United States-WA
Release date: 18 August 2023
Aesthetic maximalism makes for some of the most fascinating music: answering questions like how slow (Frowning), how fast (Archspire), and how over-the-top edgy (Infant Annihilator) make for both interesting and exciting experiments. Nott seek to answer perhaps the most archetypal of questions in metal… how heavy. And I’ll let you know right now the answer is REALLY GODDAMN HEAVY.
Playing a bastardized “doomcore,” Nott often move glacially, but if you’ve ever heard the noise coming from a glacier as it cracks and a sheet the size of a small island crashes into the sea, you know just how intimidating that can be. The shifting ambience and foreboding bass notes forewarn apocalypse–the first crushing riff isn’t exactly unexpected–but the ferocity streaming from Tyler Campbell’s venomous vocals are something else, an incantation to open the gates to a frozen hell. As the main chug is built upon, slammy little breakdowns slowly and angrily vanquish any thoughts I might’ve had before listening–Hiraeth is music to drown in. And since the band already plays at such a plodding doom pace, the even slower breakdowns are silly heavy. I can’t fully wrap my head around how they get heavier than the main riffs. The final section in “Torn” where Campbell unleashes layered screams of “FORSAKEN… CONDEMNED” is a neck crusher, really up there with the likes of Black Tongue for the sickest breakdown I’ve ever heard.
The ambient tinges throughout the record really allow for some breathing room both compositionally and in the dynamic range, but they could be a bit more engaging. “Null,” for instance, is an acceptable interlude after the consecutive bruisers, yet the slightly dissonant electronica really lets the mind drift. Moreover, “Stasis” almost does a little tremolo thing before the final breakdown, but the band does Nott fully commit to the bit, and I wish they expanded the section to a more ferocious, biting level of black metal instead of relegating the technique to doing ambient dirty work. More shimmery, bright atmospheric tremolos would have just made the subsequent breakdown even sicker.
While Nott have the occasional compositional hiccups, they certainly do Nott have many in their performances. Campbell uses clever layering on every vocal line in the album to amplify his power, and he’s a genuine monster with the likes of Will Ramos (Lorna Shore) or Alex Teyen (Black Tongue). The title drop in “Rend” is a particularly compelling roar from him, making me wanna call my mom and stop listening to metal out of fear. His guitar parts are less convincing, mostly generic thall chugs like Humanity’s Last Breath, but they work for the super stupid massive sound Nott want. Drummer Julia Geaman is incredibly talented as well, delicately changing up the tempo frequently to great effect, injecting a bit of nuance with her fills that Nott desperately need. She is the glue that holds Hiraeth together.
Largely, though, nuance is something Nott do Nott have. Their sound is monotonous: heavy and freaking monstrously huge, but also a bit repetitive. As all aesthetically maximalist acts have to contend with, Nott’s emphasis on heft can come off as a gimmick despite the immensity of the band’s sound and talent. After the dozenth breakdown in the same style, Hiraeth becomes excruciatingly predictable. Unlike the undisputed kings of the style, Black Tongue, Nott struggle with making super differentiated breakdowns. Campbell’s vocals do various disgusting things, but they’re nowhere near as versatile as Dickie Allen (Infant Annihilator) or Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation);I’d ideally want some more instrumental variety, maybe a guitar solo something (I would say “or bass” but Campbell’s bass is woefully inaudible), but Nott keep it heavy and predictable. Nott are Nott close to being your average deathcore–their doomier leanings and genuinely frighteningly heavy breakdowns are sure to be crowd pleasers–but they still need to refine their craft, especially with regards to structuring an album, Nott quite hitting the mark on Hiraeth.
Recommended tracks: Torn, Rend, Writhe
You may also like: Fractalize, Path of Giants, And Hell Followed With, Vodnik
Final verdict: 6/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook
Label: Silent Pendulum Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website
Nott is:
– Tyler Campbell (vocals, guitars, bass)
– Julia Geaman (drums)
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