Style: Math Rock, Noise Rock, Experimental Rock (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Good Tiger, Closure in Moscow’s first and third albums, The Mars Volta, Eidola
Review by: Christopher
Country: France
Release date: 3 November, 2023
You shouldn’t judge an album by its cover, but that ghost is very appropriate for NORD’s latest ethereal release. With two albums under their belt, this French experimental math rock trio have taken time to craft something rather different on new EP, The Implosion of Everything That Matters. Their sophomore album, The Only Way to Reach the Surface, was an intense work of creative math rock which almost veered into blackgaze territory at times. At twenty-six minutes, follow-up release The Implosion of Everything That Matters forefronts the electronica influences that dominated the shorter, interlude-y tracks on their last album into their noisy rock style.
On The Only Way to Reach the Surface that experimental math rock accounted for about 75% of their sound, while weird synth experimentation made up the remaining quarter; on The Implosion of Everything That Matters the ratio is flipped; hell, it’s more like 90%. The strange cyclical synth that opens “I. Candles” sets the tone for the record and NORD play with a lot of haunted sounding synth throughout,. “II. Truth Philters” is suffused by bittersweet organ swells, eventually drifting into a bridge that sounds like echoes of some haunted carnival over an infectious drum stomp, something that puts me in mind of Noctourniquet-era The Mars Volta. Meanwhile “III. Incantation” may be the most electronica-driven track on the album, replete with backing ambiences, buzzing synth bass, and some drum and bass inspired percussion.
Throughout The Implosion of Everything That Matters, Florent Gerbault’s anguished falsetto is wracked with emotion—coupled with the organ which often lurks in the background it makes for a rather disconcerting vibe. A guest performance from Yuki on “III. Incantation” provides haunted vocals and the recitation of something in Japanese which I can only imagine will be nihilistic. Though genre-wise this is a much less heavy release, emotionally The Implosions of Everything That Matters is an intense experience, running the gamut from funereal to disturbed.
Moments of NORD’s former abrasive sound remain here and there. Dissonant synths and harsh vocals open “II. Truth Philters” in 7/4, just to remind you that this is ostensibly gritty math rock. The moments of harsh vocals and more noisy rock are few and far between, reserved for intros and climaxes. As a self-contained experiment it works but I do find myself missing NORD’s maniac older sound. I’ll never fault an artist for daring to evolve, but NORD are almost unrecognisable here and it’s not always for the better.
While the harsher edges have been sanded down, NORD remain unabashedly experimental. Take “IV. Sexorcism” for example: the track is imbued with a Vangelis-like synthwave sensibility evocative of some dystopian city, bolstered by a synthetic percussion and a thick bass groove. The synths begin to go off-kilter, melting into a more irreverent section, perforated by a wraithlike sax solo overhead. Meanwhile, the elegiac title track has a funeral march-like beat with accompanying trumpet as though NORD are mourning for their own former sound, until segueing into a driving drum and bass groove with arpeggiated synth which builds to the final crescendo.
The Implosion of Everything That Matters is an intriguing evolution towards the uncanny for NORD, an experiment in alienated synths and a somewhat unhinged sense of sadness. It’s a record for a very particular mood which may limit its reach but it nevertheless taps into something deeply felt. I can’t quite get my head around it, but I mean that in a good way, I think. As much as I do wish a little more of their older sound remained in the DNA of this release, NORD remain an incredibly fresh voice in experimental rock who are absolutely worth listening to.
Recommended tracks: II. Truth Philters, V. The Implosion of Everything That Matters
You may also like: The Mercury Tree, Black Peaks, Telomēre, Maraton
Final verdict: 7/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Label: Klonosphere – Facebook | Official Website
NORD is:
– Florent Gerbault (guitar, vocals)
– Romain Duquesne (bass, samples)
– Thibault Faucher (drums)
– Manuel Dufour (guitar, synth)
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