Review Summary: Everything That's the Spirit was, wasn't and should have been.
I was not expecting to hear any traces of comparison to Bring Me the Horizon's
That's the Spirit when I decided to give this album a spin. What isn't a surprise, however, is how
Inguz, the inaugural long player from Swedish alt rock group Normandie, pulls off everything
That's the Spirit was, wasn't and should have been. There are only a few qualities that assume any mantle of precedence here; solid production value, a lot of lead guitar throughout and a hoarse but impressive performance behind the microphone. Frontman Philip Strand does, in fact, bare some vocal resemblance to the crooning cleans and hoarse yells Oli Sykes provided on
That's the Spirit. As mentioned, it's the last thing in the world I thought I'd hear. But in the case of Philip Strand, it appears as though he has already honed the vocal assets necessary to foster music like this, making this album look much more cohesive in comparison.
Inguz opens with 'Fight', a track that often plays like
That's the Spirit opener 'Doomed.' While the latter opened with ambience, this track opens with claps and utilizes a lot of symphonic elements throughout. Strand's performance behind the mic is strong, particularly on this opening track. He sounds as harsh and gritty as Oli Sykes, but doesn't have to try too hard to achieve this. Again, Strand sounds more polished, and this allows the listener to see what
That's the Spirit fell short of. 'Awakening' displays some aggressive drumming, some heavy riffage from lead guitarist John Lofgren, and the track altogether is melodic in spades. A sing-along chorus is presented to superb effect, and the synths presented are very fine-tuned.
Some vocal distortion is the recipe for 'Collide' and tracks like 'Loop Hole' puts the drumming into the spotlight. Jasper Malmberg's performance with the sticks is arguably the unsung hero of this record, feeling a lot more accessible than that of Bring Me the Horizon's Matt Nicholls. 'The Deep Cold' opens with some rather ominous ambience, and the drumming carries the verses, and the chorus consists of plenty of lead guitar. 'The Storm' treats the listener to very aggressive riffs and a crooning vocal performance from Strand is the highlight of the track. With all the personnel on board given their fair share of the spotlight, the album is leaps and bounds ahead of what
That's the Spirit tried to pull off.
Normandie is an alt rock band that was born to play music and
Inguz is an alt rock album that was born to be released. Every last note, every synth, every finishing touch on this record feels thought out, fleshed out and detailed. Props to this group for putting forth an outstanding record, one that could perhaps be the springboard for what now seems like an inevitable climb to mainstream popularity. If any 'underground' group deserves that, it's Normandie, an alt rock outfit from Sweden who knew exactly what album they wanted to make and use every part of the buffalo to do so.
