NOVERE ~ NOTHING STAYS HIDDEN IN DAYLIGHT ... review

Genre identification is a thorny subject, many a band have been tagged with a label they don't think is appropriate thanks to the words of a a well meaning journalist, blogger or podcaster, so we are going to tread carefully here and just tell you exactly what the band themselves describe their music as. "NOVERE is a Post-Metal band which aims to translate the universe of human emotions and psychological struggle into their music. Their sound mixes elements of Doom, Black Metal and Post-Rock. The band aspires to create a mix of raw, melancholic distortion with melodic moments" Now that out of the way we can also tell you that NOVERE are a collaborative group of international musicians based in London, UK consisting of Voi (drums and vocals); Dave (guitars); Top (bass and vocals) and Matteo (guitars) who jam a groove that can be both placating and brutalizing but never ever boring as you will find out when giving the bands new album "Nothing Stays Hidden In Daylight" (Trepanation Recordings) a spin.

A droning effect followed by a crunchy circular guitar refrain announces the arrival of opening track "Hydra" then is joined by the bass, drums and second guitar to build a framework for the vocals to hang on, those vocals consist of a mixture of raw sludgy harshness and lilting clean melodies with the musical dynamic shifting between blackened heaviness and post-metal complexity to accommodate both voicings, if you are not already familiar with the band music then this is a great introduction. Up next is "Aphalion" its floating clean vocal backed by gentle guitar arpeggios possesses a haunting beauty, however  beauty is often fleeting and that proves to be the case here when the hammer goes down and those gentle arpeggios make way for thrumming doomic guitar tones and those lilting clean lead vocals and harmonies step aside for thick sludgy growls and roars, the song swaying between these differing but equally powerful dynamics throughout its journey. Penultimate track "Danse Macabre" is atmospheric, elegant and bewitching, it is a song that feels like its building towards something explosive but cleverly never erupts, constantly teasing a crescendo but always pulling back at the last minute. Closing number "Cromlech" begins life smouldering and simmering but then erupts like a volcano with crunching twin guitar riffage and thunderous rhythms supporting a forceful growled vocal telling us that there is "no hope for the afterlife" and of a place where "blackness swallows the light", powerful stuff!

Powerful heavy music should not be a constant assault on the senses,, music of a heavier nature utilizing a variety of dynamics has the effect of making the heavy parts of your music sound heavier in contrast and that is what NOVERE do on "Nothing Stays Hidden In Daylight". Brutality in music is all well and good but if that is all you have then sooner or later people are going to get bored with it, you will not however get bored listening to NOVERE, they engage their listeners by giving them light and shade, peaks and troughs and beauty and ugliness to hang their collective hats on and that is something that makes NOVERE's music not only interesting but also exciting. 

Check 'em out .... 

© 2023 Frazer Jones