Review Summary: Nodes Of Ranvier's self-titled album is one of the best albums I have ever picked up. I will definitely still be listening to it many years from now. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes avant-gardistic and intelligent music.
You might think that I have overrated this album, and how can a record released only 3 years ago be considered a classic. Well, on a scale of 1 to 5 I would rate this album at 500, it’s one of my all time favorites but I’ll try to stay objective.
In a genre that most see as stagnant and plagiaristic Nodes Of Ranvier have come out with an album like none I have ever heard, before or since. The musicianship of the band is proved by the way they have blended many simple parts in a complex and interesting way. While there are no highly technical parts on this album (guitar solos are something you won’t find), most of the riffs being simple, it is the unique and dubious combination of melodic and heavy, of slow chugging and very fast parts that make this album so great. The drumming is great; I love how it explodes from the background into some really energetic parts. Throw in the amazing vocal work, which varies from clean singing parts (which are actually all right), to death-metal like growls and demented screaming and you’ve got a masterpiece. The way these guys managed to combine so many very different elements is absolutely impressive. It is the fact that this album is, at the same time, simple and complex, catchy and original, heavy and harmonic that makes it so fantastic.
Lyrically this band is above most. Their lyrics are short, strange, but full of depth. The atmosphere they create is gloomy, but they promote a positive message of knowing your self and learning from past mistakes. I especially love those on Don’t Blink (Or We May Miss It) and Faith In The Faux.
As I said, the album is brilliant from start to finish, but if I have to name a few highlight tracks they would be: Don’t Blink (Or We May Miss It), it embodies every aspect I love about the album, the unique combination of melodic and heavy, fast and slow parts; Kyrie, a great and very catchy song; Faith In The Faux, it is the song that got me into Nodes Of Ranvier, and metalcore in general, an incredible track with an unique feel.
Pros
- very original
- great combination of different elements
- excellent lyrics
- you can listen to it over and over again
Cons
- short, only 34:17 minutes
- some parts are repetitive
Well this about wraps it up, this is my first review so I would really appreciate some opinions, tips and stuff.
