Nomadus Dawn_of_darkness

Nømadus - Dawn of Darkness

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Ireland’s Nømadus bring riffs, melody and ferocious vocals to the table. Their blend of “progressive metal” and some old school “thrash metal” and “death metal” is simply huge. Heavy music is back!.

Despite the noose around the neck of live music for the last fifteen months or so, the Irish metal scene is in a good place. There’s talent in every corner of the island. It’s vast, varied and progressive. The metal genre as a whole seems to be taking on another more modern persona, and is constantly expanding. Bands are experimenting with their sound and are not afraid to try something that goes against the natural flow of things. Musical styles are crossing over and overlapping, and the fallout from that is some ingenious and imaginative sounds. Nømadus are a case in point. These Belfast boys have brought together a blend of thrash, progressive and groove driven music that’s both infectious and innovative. I want to share with you all Dawn of Darkness/Silent Dusk and reassure you that metal is truly alive and kicking.

“Dawn of Darkness” is the first of two tracks and it opens up brimming with power and intent. Some vicious guitars and some double bass drums detonate the intro. It’s immediately obvious from the off where some of the inspiration comes from. Nømadus’s technical ability blended with their ferocity brings to mind all that’s good about bands like Gojira and Sepultura. The track deviates momentarily from the opening riff, where the pace is throttled back for a second, only to recommence with another blistering riff and some potent vocals. Frederico Moita’s delivery is explosive and volcanic and definately something the great Max Cavalera would approve of himself!. The theme throughout these two tracks evolve around getting trapped in a moment of time, and the concept of battling with mental health. “Dawn of Darkness” describes living with those feelings and it’s perfectly portrayed with the passion and emotion of the track’s delivery. The song structure is cleverly divided up between heaving riffs and more melodic swirling highs courtesy of both Frederico and Neil McCaughtry. Even the vocals take on a harmonised tone which is testament to Nømadus’s vision and understanding of welding both melody and chaos together. The track never rests on its laurels for too long, and the fury shifts yet again with an onslaught of crashing drums, chopping bass lines and shredded guitars, all carrying the full-throated vocal performance on their shoulders. Rich guitar solos and an eighties thrash metal flourish steamrolls its way to the end of the track and will have you gasping for breath at the other side. It’s an incredible track and definitely up there with my favourite tracks of the year so far.

“Silent dusk” continues the theme of the mind in trouble, and tells of the struggle and constant battle it faces in trying to expel those demons. It opens with rolling drums and glistening guitar tones that get mercilessly swallowed up by the swarming riffs and the scathing “death metal” onslaught. The groove-led bass of Carl Vaughan is a lot more prominent on this track, and seems to anchor the band right from the outset. The pace of this track is fast, aggressive and so well played. These guys are extremely talented musicians and seem to enjoy exposing their deftness and flair. As the track powers forward, the pace ebbs and flows, keeping the sound fresh and interesting. The final couple of minutes become somewhat darker and menacing, with slow sludging riffs and lumbering drums. The vocals haunt and echo, characterising a mind that’s tormented and stricken, and in doing so provide a fitting end to this short story. It may be only two tracks but these guys have shown that there’s an abundance of talent on offer. They have harvested inspiration from the likes of Gojira, Sepultura and as I mentioned already, that eighties “thrash/death metal” scene. Their music is fresh, heavy and multi-layered and should be a joy to hear live once reality is restored. Don’t get bogged down in genres or musical tribes when it comes to categorising the sound of Nømadus. Simply appreciate it for what it is…. heavy, hard-hitting music.