Nephelium
We were recently sent through details of Nephelium, a band originally formed in Dubai of all places, before relocating to Toronto to continue their death metal stylings. Described as a metal juggernaut, this is a band that is keeping it true to their roots, getting up and standing up for bands like Napalm Death and Cannibal Corpse to keep the sound of true metal alive. We were put onto some of their tracks so I thought it only right we check out what was on offer!
Opening with Merciless Annihilation there’s a definite return to the world of death metal, immediately hammering into a fast paced track full of roaring, guttural vocals, and drum lines designed to obliterate anyone who hears them. Powerful, sludgy and heavy as fuck throughout, this is music which isn’t for the faint hearted, and the sort of thing which is going to appeal to the niche market of death metal fans. Don’t look at that as a bad thing though, the guys have crafted a real sense of honesty into their music, moving away from some of the more accessible ‘melodic death metal’ bands of the modern era, and showing how it used to be done when it was first started. Burial Ground continues this approach, once again lurching us into a powerful melee of hammering guitar lines, powerful drumming and more of those stand out vocals. Dark and distorted throughout, this track is another example of what death metal used to sound like, immediately transporting me back to when I first discovered the likes of Cannibal Corpse and showing that it’s still alive and well with these guys.
Hellborne doesn’t exactly hold back as it comes into being, once again basing the track around hammering drums and intricate guitar lines, adding in a sense of technical ability and proving once and for all that death metal is not just noise. The powerful ability to combine technicalities with distorted insanity is something that’s going to keep people coming back to these guys, the sort of thing which shows off a band in their best sense and is going to secure a hell of a name for Nephelium. Malediction is another example of this, combining an intricate guitar line with the pounding backing rhythms and elevating the track to a new level. Sure this is heavy, but there’s a real sense of melody flowing through some of the parts of this track, not in a way which makes it sound soft or over produced, but instead in a way which accentuates the sound of the band and keeps you listening. Standing out as one of my personal favourites from what I heard of the band, this was a track that I wanted to see live, the sort of track which I played so loud I had the neighbours banging on the walls, but the sort of track that made me not care in the slightest!
Halls Of Judgement once again shows off the roots of the band, throwing into a syncopated mix of roaring vocals, hammering rhythms and enough distortion to leave an entire city levelled. Powerful from the word go, the sense of darkness which flows through this track is something which stands it out as another live track, the sort of thing which is going to leave venues pumping for weeks after they finish, and the ears of those who heard it bleeding due to the sheer heaviness the band unleash. Closing with Coils Of Entropy there’s no doubt that death metal is alive and well in Canada, and that these guys are at the forefront of it. Hammering onwards with a more stereotypical death metal sound, the fast paced drumming combines with the intricate guitar work and roving bass line to provide us with one final track of pure venom, the sort of track which leaves you helpless to do anything other than bow in submission to their sound whilst knowing that this could well signal the end of the world – a cracking close to an awesome few tracks.
I’m a massive fan of Death Metal, but only when it’s done properly! What Nephelium have done is produce tracks which do death metal justice, show where their influences came from, and show that it is still possible to hammer out heavy assed tracks without the need to add in over the top production or song parts which aren’t needed. This is intricate death metal at its finest, full of heaviness, power and aggression – and I for one want to hear a lot more of this.
To find out more about Nephelium, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Merciless Annihilation there’s a definite return to the world of death metal, immediately hammering into a fast paced track full of roaring, guttural vocals, and drum lines designed to obliterate anyone who hears them. Powerful, sludgy and heavy as fuck throughout, this is music which isn’t for the faint hearted, and the sort of thing which is going to appeal to the niche market of death metal fans. Don’t look at that as a bad thing though, the guys have crafted a real sense of honesty into their music, moving away from some of the more accessible ‘melodic death metal’ bands of the modern era, and showing how it used to be done when it was first started. Burial Ground continues this approach, once again lurching us into a powerful melee of hammering guitar lines, powerful drumming and more of those stand out vocals. Dark and distorted throughout, this track is another example of what death metal used to sound like, immediately transporting me back to when I first discovered the likes of Cannibal Corpse and showing that it’s still alive and well with these guys.
Hellborne doesn’t exactly hold back as it comes into being, once again basing the track around hammering drums and intricate guitar lines, adding in a sense of technical ability and proving once and for all that death metal is not just noise. The powerful ability to combine technicalities with distorted insanity is something that’s going to keep people coming back to these guys, the sort of thing which shows off a band in their best sense and is going to secure a hell of a name for Nephelium. Malediction is another example of this, combining an intricate guitar line with the pounding backing rhythms and elevating the track to a new level. Sure this is heavy, but there’s a real sense of melody flowing through some of the parts of this track, not in a way which makes it sound soft or over produced, but instead in a way which accentuates the sound of the band and keeps you listening. Standing out as one of my personal favourites from what I heard of the band, this was a track that I wanted to see live, the sort of track which I played so loud I had the neighbours banging on the walls, but the sort of track that made me not care in the slightest!
Halls Of Judgement once again shows off the roots of the band, throwing into a syncopated mix of roaring vocals, hammering rhythms and enough distortion to leave an entire city levelled. Powerful from the word go, the sense of darkness which flows through this track is something which stands it out as another live track, the sort of thing which is going to leave venues pumping for weeks after they finish, and the ears of those who heard it bleeding due to the sheer heaviness the band unleash. Closing with Coils Of Entropy there’s no doubt that death metal is alive and well in Canada, and that these guys are at the forefront of it. Hammering onwards with a more stereotypical death metal sound, the fast paced drumming combines with the intricate guitar work and roving bass line to provide us with one final track of pure venom, the sort of track which leaves you helpless to do anything other than bow in submission to their sound whilst knowing that this could well signal the end of the world – a cracking close to an awesome few tracks.
I’m a massive fan of Death Metal, but only when it’s done properly! What Nephelium have done is produce tracks which do death metal justice, show where their influences came from, and show that it is still possible to hammer out heavy assed tracks without the need to add in over the top production or song parts which aren’t needed. This is intricate death metal at its finest, full of heaviness, power and aggression – and I for one want to hear a lot more of this.
To find out more about Nephelium, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
