Following their 2016 demo, NOX IRAE bring us their first EP of thrashing, old school Death Metal from France. Set for release via Transcending Obscurity Records on November 15th.
Shredding guitars blister in over a cacophony of rhythmic assaults and blastbeats, hitting hard from the get-go, laying a path for the gnarly vocals to chime in gloriously. Feeling like a more thrashy Bolt Thrower with a hastily driven groove and plenty of mid-tempo hooks spread throughout an otherwise maniacally aggressive record, everything about this release is straight to the point and catchy with no time for filler material, just pounding extremity and killer musicianship that is encapsulated with a tight but not compressive production style in the vein of classic-era Earache releases. We are even given some bleak blackened atmospherics occasionally while not diverting far from the pulsating Death Metal violence and soaring lead guitar work that often brings a brightness to the otherwise savage tracks. Nox Irae remind me a lot of Infernal Conjuration with a more early and thrash-driven style of old school Death Metal which sets them out from the more common Incantation worship that many artists are doing. Featuring some wicked builds that often culminate in groovy and memorable riffs, upbeat drum work and vicious vocals, this EP will certainly entertain fans of the very early Death Metal bands who wish to hear more in that vein. During the second half of the EP the band seem to delve more into the Swedish Death Metal style with more d-beats and convulsively snarling riffs over pounding drums with more meticulous vocal patterns, definitely giving the release some well-needed diversity but without it feeling thrown together. What this release lacks in cavernous, sewer-dwelling slime, it makes up for with a more concise and fast delivery of fantastically fun music that will definitely get everyone pumping their fists along to. Brilliant work and definitely a wise choice to stick with a shorter running time as there is never a dull moment on this record. -7.5/10
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