Śmierć – Opór (Nikt Nic Nie Wie/Prank)
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The third album from Śmierć offers a unique tackle Scandinavian D-beat. It’s chock filled with melodies and environment in an album celebrating resistance says Nathan Brown.
“Melodic d-beat?”, he spluttered. “Melodic d-beat?”, voice getting extra excessive pitched. “Sure, melodic d-beat!” I asserted. I do know a few of you will have d-beat written off as Noise Not Music however issues have moved on since 1980.
Now for the terrible admission. I had by no means heard of Swedish band Śmierć till varied buddies raved about their current performances in London and Bristol. Then they contacted me and requested if I’d overview this, their third album. In fact, I mentioned. Śmierć fashioned again in 2017. Was I distracted, asleep, or each? Listen on the again! Okay there are a whole lot of different bands, however nonetheless… Amongst earlier bands the members had been in have been the excessive profile Imperial Leather-based, Fool Ikon and Abductee S.D.
The theme of this album is Resistance (which is what the title Opór means if translated into English) and the songs – sang in Swedish, Polish and English – all share this frequent thread. The band title, by the way in which, is the Polish phrase for demise and when you learn into their historical past you’ll discover it is because singer Ninka has had an extended love affair with the Polish punk scene. That Śmierć’s music has been launched on legendary Polish label Nikt Nic Nie Wie is a dream come true.
Uffe begins proceedings with keyboard and large guitars accentuated by the drums offering a basis for a melodic looming bass line. The quick principal riff kicks in with interweaving guitars that drop down into heavysville for the refrain. The vocals swap between a uncooked shout and singing whereas the drums batter away the D-beat. A defiant “I reply to no-one” heralds a melancholy mid part earlier than the outro performs out – a refrain of vocals singing “That is how we rise” with layers of melodies. It’s a robust begin to an awesome album with melody writ all through it. These melodies, coupled with an enormous guitar sound, borrow from heavy rock, folks in addition to punk and d-beat.
Krew follows on, beginning with an atmospheric keyboard sound that builds into what I might solely describe as emo-crust. In some methods this track attracts as a lot from 70s prog because it does from the punk which kicks in half method by: straight up shouty d-beat however with excessive manufacturing values. There’s something of a sample rising: intros construct an usually subdued haunting atmosphere earlier than the heavier aspect of Śmierć is unleashed. Hear is one other melodic d-beat quantity with hovering guitar traces of the type that used to just about outline all of the bands who would name themselves “epic crust” or “stadium crust” a few many years again (descriptions which have all the time made me snigger at their pomposity).
Razem begins off very punchy with a rhythmic drum beat after which breaks away from d-beat right into a extra conventional punk rhythm. With the guitar results, this track will attraction to the current crop of bands mixing up Oi and post-punk (Oi Division as I prefer to consult with it). The tune Prawda has virtually gothic undertones with the picked guitar begin though the growling bass and subterranean drum sound makes this extra sinister. As soon as the prolonged intro is out the way in which Śmierć settle right down to their inventory in commerce.
The beginning of Das Umheimliche makes use of keyboards to create a sinister horror movie vibe. The added kalmiba intensifies that really feel – it feels like a haunted little one’s toy piano. Haunting vocals add to this sensation earlier than a prolonged trot of a construct up leads us to the primary occasion. KTO is one other track led by a robust hovering guitar line adopted by one other blast of raging d-beat from Kuren. Closing the album, the primary tune of The Track is sandwiched between a gradual intro with clear picked guitar and a multiple-vocal folksy sounding acappella ending.
Though there’s something of a formulation in the way in which Śmierć use intros earlier than the physique of the track, there may be sufficient variety in these intros to keep away from sounding like tunes churned off a manufacturing line to a template. Clearly important thought and energy has gone into including additional layers and devices, at instances veering on the orchestral. It’s comprehensible why people who caught them reside have been raving about Śmierć.
Out there from bandcamp
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All phrases by Nathan Brown. You possibly can learn extra from Nathan on his Louder Than Warfare archive over right here.
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