Review Summary: I Need a Reason For Who We Are
Renowned French progressive metalcore band Novelists Fr are back with their first full length record featuring new vocalist Tobias Riche, formerly of Alazka and guitarist Pierre Danel. However, with this release we are sort of left with a headscratcher as there are only seven full length tracks and five interludes spread out over the course of the thirty-five-minute runtime. Five of the seven had already been released as singles over the last couple years so there’s not much left in terms of surprises. With the abundance of interlude tracks, the record does feel a bit disjointed and underwhelming however the full-length tracks, for the most part, are solid and a reinvention of the core sound. Moving away from a traditional progressive metal sound with occasional saxophone, the band has fully embraced electronics, extremely down-tuned guitars and heavy production work.
The opening track “Smoke Signals” wastes no time immediately showcasing the brilliant guitar work this band has always been known for with a very tasteful, melodic solo that leads into the initial drop of the opening riff, fully laced with electronic samples and dense layers of noise. The song is catchy with a big chorus hook; “So when you’re calling for help/please remember/That we’re all getting lost together/That nothing ever ever lasts forever” but also acknowledges their heavy roots with some big breakdowns and chunky moments. Where this band has sort of shifted in a negative direction is the quality of the lyricism. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with the themes and hooks that are used, the overall verses and lines are cluttered with clichés and overused simplistic approaches to topics that require a deeper examination such as mental health, depression, anxiety and mortality. The following track “Heretic” is a prime example with the lines “Fire, set me on fire/So when you’re trying to tear the world apart/Fire, set me on fire” being very basic and unexplanatory. The song itself isn’t bad with some remarkable guitar work but the chorus hook isn’t as engaging as the previous track.
“Made By Design” is one of the couple full length tracks left unveiled prior to release and it’s on a similar level as “Heretic” with more prominent and well written instrumentals but not much to offer in terms of lyrical and vocal performances. Tobias is a rather talented vocalist with a very distinct yell-scream delivery, but his clean-singing vocals can be a bit dry or barebones at times, where a hook could be very engaging and exciting, it sometimes falls a bit flat with his choice of melody. “The Answer” is the other unreleased full-length track prior to drop and it’s my least favorite song on here with very basic “ohwo oh” chants being the core of the melody and overall instrumentals and song-structure being rather basic and straightforward with very little payoff.
In terms of the interludes, there is a nice variety from production heavy electronic pieces to light, fluttery acoustic guitar licks bordering on technical flamenco. They are dynamic and sometimes lead into certain tracks nicely but definitely create a disconnect with the flow of the album and feel like time-fillers.
“Terrorist” is a fun track with an especially dense, noisy opening guitar riff spiked with heavy electronics. The chorus melody is huge, and the guitar work is some of the best on the record and that’s saying something considering the quality in which Pierre and Nicolas play throughout the track list. But once again the song is a bit underwhelmed by cheesy lyrics such as “(Terrorist, Terrorist)/I want the voice to be dead” and I understand that English is probably not these guys primary language but objectively speaking, these lyrics are very run-of-the-mill.
The final leg of this record features two of the initial singles for the record “do you really wanna know?” and “Lost Cause” both of which are tied for my favorite tracks on here. When “Lost Cause” dropped with the announcement of Tobias being the new vocalist, I felt this band had really found a fire because the track was lined with tremendous guitar work, a massive hook and tons of super cool electronic effects and production work. The cohesion was unlike any of their previous tracks even though it certainly takes the ‘whole-kitchen-sink’ approach in the structure of the tune. Tobias’ vocals felt refreshed after the recent dissolution of Alazka, his lyrics were extremely solid on the track with one particular line “I search for meaning when all I used to do was dreaming/Disconsolate, mourning a loss, lonesome at best” really hitting home and perfectly painting a desolate scenario. “do you really wanna know?” is similar with a massive hook and tons of dense production work. The album ends strong but the rest of it certainly offers a mixed bag of content.
I’m always happy to see artists and bands branching out, searching for identity and expressing their emotions in various ways. There’s a lot to appreciate on this record but it certainly listens as a band going through growing pains. The most consistent effort has always been the guitar work for Novelists Fr, but I’d love to see a bit more in terms of vocal performances, drum work (which often just plays the role as backbone but doesn’t stand out) and just overall creative songwriting. Including heavy electronics and big production moments is fine and dandy, but really utilizing them to bring the song to a new level is something Novelists Fr still need to work on.
Highlights:
“Smoke Signals”
“Lost Cause”
“do you really want to know?”
“Terrorist”
3.2/5
