Nostromo Eccelex
Overcome Records BP 80249
By Tim Blake
Since I am not an avid listener to genres such as hardcore or metalcore, Nostromos impressive Eccelex, has, to some extent, been an ear-opening experience for me. Utilizing incredible, pounding rhythms, intense screaming vocals, and hints of texture in the form of acoustic interludes and interesting effects, the group has an agreeably developed style. It is often easy to pass off hardcore or metalcore as genres consisting of nothing but bands with little musical skill, but a group like Nostromo proves this idea much too limiting.
The first track, Rude Awakening, opens with a strange high tone before bursting into a hammering rhythm. Within the first minute one thing is crystal clear the drummer is absolutely staggering. One gets the image of a man with five arms, especially when considering the surgical precision at work here. The song chugs away with hardcore vocals, pounding, complex beats, and a tribal sounding outro. Whats Up Your Cryotube cranks up the intensity a further notch, with increased rhythmic potency. Still Born Prophet peels back the speed a bit, with an introduction in which the drummer plays an astounding sequence to pulsating guitars. The song is more developed and varied than the earlier ones, with stop-starts, and sudden wall-of-noise attacks at a slightly slower tempo. Ends Eve is a short acoustic interlude, the echoey, calm picked riffs, providing a sense of variety. Its like a dainty tea-break out from a raging inferno. Lab of Their Will is probably the best song on display here, with a really cool intro of stuttering guitars giving way to more complex drum-work, before returning to the intro, which becomes a unifying motif. Sunset Hotel sets itself apart via slowly escalating clean intro that leads to a louder section, before returning to the former scheme and chugging away at mid-pace. Pull the Pin is remarkably extreme, getting so hardcore that the drummer actually plays blast-beats. At only a minute and fourteen seconds, its like a quick shot of adrenaline. Seeking An Exit is more of the same, with some impressive stop-starts and grooves. Ecce Lex is a sixteen second burst of fury followed by Feed the Living, an unexceptional track. Turn Black has a lovely acoustic intro, with more reverb-heavy guitars and steady acoustic strumming, once again providing a moment of levity from the madness and confirming that Nostromo is fairly varied and progressive. Unwilling and Slow is the exceedingly pummelling closer; once again displaying the drummers daunting playing.
Overall, this is a well realized and developed album. Nostromo have laid down some truly imposing rhythms here, and fleshed it out with a few nice moments of variety. If there is one thing that is certain to me now, its that perhaps there is more to this metalcore than meets the eye. The musicianship on Eccelex is beyond reproach. Although the guitars are hardly very melodic, they are mostly used purely for rhythmic means, and in this sense are highly effective. This album, however, is worth hearing solely for the drumming, which lends both manic energy and extreme complexity to the release; it almost feels the band is trying to tease with their sheer rhythmic abilities. Luckily for them the music on Eccelex rises above novelty, cemented by heavy, clear production. The warning I can give is that the vocals are very much grounded in the manic screaming of hardcore, but I find them to be most appropriate. Recommended whole-heartedly to those who want to see how good metalcore can be.
9/10
Official Nostromo Website
Official Overcome Records Website
Overcome Records BP 80249
By Tim Blake
Since I am not an avid listener to genres such as hardcore or metalcore, Nostromos impressive Eccelex, has, to some extent, been an ear-opening experience for me. Utilizing incredible, pounding rhythms, intense screaming vocals, and hints of texture in the form of acoustic interludes and interesting effects, the group has an agreeably developed style. It is often easy to pass off hardcore or metalcore as genres consisting of nothing but bands with little musical skill, but a group like Nostromo proves this idea much too limiting.
The first track, Rude Awakening, opens with a strange high tone before bursting into a hammering rhythm. Within the first minute one thing is crystal clear the drummer is absolutely staggering. One gets the image of a man with five arms, especially when considering the surgical precision at work here. The song chugs away with hardcore vocals, pounding, complex beats, and a tribal sounding outro. Whats Up Your Cryotube cranks up the intensity a further notch, with increased rhythmic potency. Still Born Prophet peels back the speed a bit, with an introduction in which the drummer plays an astounding sequence to pulsating guitars. The song is more developed and varied than the earlier ones, with stop-starts, and sudden wall-of-noise attacks at a slightly slower tempo. Ends Eve is a short acoustic interlude, the echoey, calm picked riffs, providing a sense of variety. Its like a dainty tea-break out from a raging inferno. Lab of Their Will is probably the best song on display here, with a really cool intro of stuttering guitars giving way to more complex drum-work, before returning to the intro, which becomes a unifying motif. Sunset Hotel sets itself apart via slowly escalating clean intro that leads to a louder section, before returning to the former scheme and chugging away at mid-pace. Pull the Pin is remarkably extreme, getting so hardcore that the drummer actually plays blast-beats. At only a minute and fourteen seconds, its like a quick shot of adrenaline. Seeking An Exit is more of the same, with some impressive stop-starts and grooves. Ecce Lex is a sixteen second burst of fury followed by Feed the Living, an unexceptional track. Turn Black has a lovely acoustic intro, with more reverb-heavy guitars and steady acoustic strumming, once again providing a moment of levity from the madness and confirming that Nostromo is fairly varied and progressive. Unwilling and Slow is the exceedingly pummelling closer; once again displaying the drummers daunting playing.
Overall, this is a well realized and developed album. Nostromo have laid down some truly imposing rhythms here, and fleshed it out with a few nice moments of variety. If there is one thing that is certain to me now, its that perhaps there is more to this metalcore than meets the eye. The musicianship on Eccelex is beyond reproach. Although the guitars are hardly very melodic, they are mostly used purely for rhythmic means, and in this sense are highly effective. This album, however, is worth hearing solely for the drumming, which lends both manic energy and extreme complexity to the release; it almost feels the band is trying to tease with their sheer rhythmic abilities. Luckily for them the music on Eccelex rises above novelty, cemented by heavy, clear production. The warning I can give is that the vocals are very much grounded in the manic screaming of hardcore, but I find them to be most appropriate. Recommended whole-heartedly to those who want to see how good metalcore can be.
9/10
Official Nostromo Website
Official Overcome Records Website
