NAHAR - THE STRANGE INCONVENIENCE

 

Nahar is a Black Metal Duo from France

The members are:

Shaddar.V.H – Guitar, Bass, Drums
Sorghal - Vocals
NAHAR - THE STRANGE INCONVENIENCE

Nahar deal in a terrifying combination of Doom and Black Metal, one that isn't overwhelming in the traditional audio or volume sense, but in the traditional darkest of the dark overtones sense. Their latest album is called 'The Strange Inconvenience', and it's some real dark night of the soul stuff. Born of pain and suffering, and raised in a venom bath. Even when it lays still it's menacing, like a snake that is coiled and ready to strike at your soul. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here...

'Grey Concrete... Comfort' eases us into the lair with some slow, almost Danzig-esque bluesy doom, tempting us down into the dark. The vocals are classic BM, shrieked but deep, and they will seal your fate. There is real and serious build within this track, each time a layer is added to the descent, subtle at first but then escalating each time. It honestly gives you the sensation of sinking, and it's quite unnerving. The double bass is well placed to add simple weight at the right time, and it never overstays it's welcome. The lead guitar is dark and decadent, and thoroughly seductive. The sparse nature of the sound at times is often the highlight. They're able to convey such harrowing it's positively unreal.

'Purifying Negativity' continues in this vein of absolutely no light whatsoever. There is a Neurosis flavour here, which is of course only ever complimentary. They too have become masters of manipulating dark aesthetics, and it's quite clear that Nahar are bound to the same path as them. Their use of vague samples and muffled background noise amps up the tension, which is torn apart when instantly followed by rampant BM drums and some light, yet thoroughly scorching, soloing on the six string. And as a rule of thumb, chanting in any song this haunting is always a huge bonus for weirding me the fuck out.

'An Atavistic Manner' begins with some of the heaviest drumming on the record, all tribal in nature, like primitive men trying to summon a hunting spirit. Or some terrible being to enact their vengeance. I would call this piece my personal highlight, but this should only ever be considered as an album, a complete entity. The whole record is an ominous highlight. This individual track continues the theme laid out earlier with sparse interludes to highlight the harsher moments. It's enchanting in a really dangerous way. There are some wonderful droning moments at the mid-point, but the guitars are always searching throughout. This album does kinda scare the shit outta me slightly. It worms it's way into your consciousness and roots itself in there like a tick. I don't normally go in for much BM, but there is no way you could define this narrowly as such. It goes way beyond that.

Overall, 'The Strange Inconvenience' is entirely strange, but by no means inconvenient. A mind consuming mix of two opposite styles, granted only in speed but not in content or feel, makes for a disturbingly intoxicating mix. This album is a winning experience, and it will devour you whole. Succumb to it's grasp without delay.

Written By Matt Fitton

Thanks to Stef at Avantgarde Music for hooking us up for this excellent album.

You can buy The Strange Experience from Avantgarde Music Now!!!