Review by Emma Brown for MPM
A dramatic and atmospheric soundscape of human emotion, Nothing More’s latest album “Carnal” is the definition of authentic self expression. Covering themes from love and longing to heartache and grief, this album is filled with remarkable storytelling, hidden tricks and quirks, and layers of flawless musicianship.
Carnal” begins with its title track, creating an intensely dreamy atmosphere that draws the listener deeper in with each passing second.
This is contrasted beautifully by powerful crescendos that crash like mighty waves, and the use of Structure here makes it a strong and powerful start to the album.
It’s clear from the very beginning that the band takes inspiration from many different sources, even occasionally leaning into tropes more commonly aligned with music for film, creating a truly cinematic record.
These calmer sections give the heavier metal sections an extra boost, making them lunge forward and create intense impact.
Reviewing this album is easy, because in terms of musicianship and style, the album is fantastic.
However, the band have taken it one step further by incorporating interesting effects and unique musical devices. Several songs in the album including “I HEAD I” and “I HEART I” contain passages of speech, and although it’s unclear where these philosophical passages are from, they contain talk about how emotion is essential to the human experience, and how we should embrace all emotions, even if sometimes they are bad or unpleasant.
It’s always refreshing when a band chooses not to shy away from the harder or more difficult topics life has to offer.
There is a great sense of authenticity in this album, and the messages portrayed through their musicianship, and excellent vocals from lead singer Jonny Hawkins, add to the rivers of emotion flowing from this album.
This emotion is also so strong in the tracks with feature artists too. Often in collaborations, artists find themselves bending their own values to make something that works, but these collaborations feel as easy as breathing, and are truly fantastic partnerships.
To conclude, this album has so much to offer, and is impressive from start to finish. There is so much depth and truth in this album, alongside it being a joy to listen to with wonderful instrumentation, crystal clear mixing and mastering, and a fresh adaptation of the current metal scene.
The band have created this feeling of almost drowning one minute and then taking that first glorious fresh breath of air after rising from beneath the waves the next.
Yes, it’s excellent metal, but it’s so much more than that, and it’s easy to tell that it’s so much more than just music for the band as well
Pre-order CARNAL now via digital download, CD, vinyl, and cassette tape at https://nothingmore.ffm.to/carnal.
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