Album Type:
Album
Date Released:
18th
November 2014
Label:
Self Released
NIXA – Trembling Path–
Track Listing
1.Die With The Sun
08:21
2.Erase 06:08
3.Dies Irae 05:36
4.The Gate 04:02
5.Thurisaz 06:38
6.Eye Eating God
05:37
7.Seven Principles
06:14
Members
Valentin
Mellstrom-vocals
Anthony
Mendolia-guitar
Mike Rodriguez-drums
Review:
I
have to thank Hand of Doom Radio for bringing this album to my
attention, as I did not know it was even out. I remembered Nixa from
their excellent debut release, which I featured last year so I headed
over to BandCamp, and bought this right away. Nixa's debut album -Trembling Path - is a powerful, dark and brooding take on all things Doom, Sludge and
Psychedelic Metal. It is a very atmospheric album with Nixa offering
an emotionally and haunting journey for who dares to listen. Opening
track - Die With The Sun - lays down the foundations for NIXA to
build their album upon. Stirring doom-laiden atmospherics with great
vocals to match. Shades of Isis, Neurosis and YOB appear at regular
intervals but Nixa manage to create their own intriguing world
amongst the darkness going on around you. The instrumental work
instantly draws you in as you are held prisoner by the power of the
riffs themselves. It sounds incredible from the very start, which is
not surprising since Magnus Lindberg of Cult Of Luna fame mastered
the album.
Nixa
have written some complex melodies amongst the ambient noises and
vocals. The album has shades of dark creepy Stoner Metal appearing
from time to time but its heavier Sludge/Doom Metal aspects that keep
you interested through out. The first song gives a good indication on
how the rest of the album plays out but Nixa do add a few surprises
along the way. Its one heavy hypnotic journey where heavy slabs of
psychedelia adding an unsettling feel.
Second
track - Erase - opens with an eerie slow-paced guitar riffs with
different noises being added before the vocals start venturing form
Clean to more hardcore-based vocals. Erase is a slow-paced affair
with the Doom Metal vibe laid on very thick. The drumming are played
at a slower pace but what they lack in speed, they more than make up
in the sheer size of volume. Of Course things explode into a loud
wall of noise. A great Sludge/Doom Metal band needs to show people
how angry they are at the world and Nixa are no exception. The vocals
take a strange hypnotic chant based turn towards the end but it shows
how creative Nixa actually are when the time calls for it. 3rd track
- Des Irae - sees Nixa add layers of Fuzz and creepy soundbytes being
for one of the albums strongest tracks. It should not work but Nixa
pull this off with style and conviction. If you are not digging this
album by now then it is best to turn away as Nixa only offer more
high-calibre bone-crunching riffs to lose yourself in.
The
whole album is immersed with the creepier side of life and metal in
general. It's packed full of twists and turns which will keep you on
edge especially on 4th track - The Gate - that ventures into
Ambient/Drone territory with the vocals being wisely kept to a
minimum in the background as the band create a delicate balance
between light and dark moods to give the album a more experimental
feel. However, it is back to normal Sludge/Doom Metal business with
5th track - Thurisaz. This is where Nixa unleash all their anger and
fury upon the listener and it makes for one of the albums standout
tracks. Nixa unleash the psych metal fury from their instruments with
guitar reverb and fuzz being played at a loud and destructive level.
The lyrics are dark and creepy which only adds to the doom and gloom
effect of the album though wait until the epic riffs appear towards
the end of the song.
Nixa
have two more songs for you to experience or survive from. Eye Eating
God feels like a claustrophobic nightmare coming to life. You will
feel the entire world is closing upon top of you. It starts very
slowly with Nixa adding different hints of ambient noises before the
doom and gloom effect once again slowly takes off with delicate riffs
driving this superb instrumental track to its natural conclusion.
Nixa close the album off with the disturbing and majestic - Seven
Principles - that carries the same winning formula/setup from the
earlier tracks but it somehow still sounds fresh, exciting and most
of all wholly original. It sees Nixa unleashing a barrage of
unstoppable riffs and moods for you to survive from. Nixa have
created a disturbing and brutal debut album that will speak volumes
to many of you within the Doom/Sludge Metal community. This is a
must-have album. Awesome. End Of.
Words
by Steve Howe
Trembling Path is now available to buy from BandCamp now.
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