Review Summary: Novelists find themselves at the top of the food chain, and let's hope they can stay there.
There’s just something about progressive metal that makes it so interesting. Whether it’s the groovy nature found in bands like
TesseracT and
Periphery, or the experimental fun that bands like
Thank You Scientist like to implement, it’s always intriguing to see what each band does with the genre. Novelists, a band from Paris, France, made an impact with a collection of demos last year, showcasing their capabilities of mixing crushing breakdowns with atmospheric touches without sounding forced. Now with Nuclear Blast-imprint
Arising Empire, Novelists have released
‘Souvenirs’, an album equal parts crushing and haunting without sounding overdone.
From the get-go, the listener is introduced to the sort of music Novelists want to play; heavy, chunky, head-banging, djent-influenced prog metal. But without sounding too clichéd, Novelists do it differently. Their ability to create songs that go from bordering on full-blown djent, to quickly taking a breather and having an atmospheric passage, only to ramp the speed back up again is something of beauty and, well, fun.
‘Antares’ is a good example of this, starting off with pace, only to slow down for a brief moment and hastily pick itself back up and give a satisfying conclusion. At times entire songs are devoid of the band's djent roots, opting for a more stripped-back approach. Take for example
‘5:12 A.M’, featuring popular guitarist
Plini and vocal cover artist
Lotti Holz. The song benefits from both, with the guitar work being equal parts flashy and intricate, and weaving well into the song, particularly after Lotti’s noticeably soaring verse.
It isn’t all about the songs though. The instrumentals and vocalists deserve a good rap as well. The guitar work is both catchy and pleasing, never feeling forced or overdone, and provide a good amount of exciting solos. The use of breakdowns isn't exactly sparse, but they never feel out of place, fitting perfectly between verses and atmospheric breaks in songs such as
‘Souvenirs’. Additionally, the drums do what is needed of them and then some, adding that extra bit of flair and flashiness to top off the guitar work. Vocals, although not entirely unusual or special for the genre, still add a lot to the songs. Clean vocals soar and flow when needed, and harsh vocals have a perfect mix of ferocity and tone to give each song that little extra punch. Although at times the vocals feel drowned out in the mix, they still hold their own.
Regardless of its place in the genre, Novelists have crafted a masterful debut LP, mixing crunch and atmosphere to near perfection, whilst maintaining the catchy qualities of both. The rise-fall nature of each song, along with complex guitar and drum work, and an impressive vocal performance help Novelists rise above the rest. Truth is, where the hell do they go from here.
