Ni

Les insurgés de Romilly

Written by: MN on 16/09/2015 14:52:23

Looking for something that fits the description as batshit crazy? Then one needs not look further than Ni's schizophrenic release named "Les insurgés de Romilly". I occasionally sign up for the unknown band that has an intriguing description, so often I venture blindfolded into the world and in this case, I have been cast into the abyss of psychedelic, "mathy", weird French metal fairytale land. Ni hail from the town of Bourge En Bresse, an area of France more famous for their blue-footed chickens than polyrhythmic math-metal. Not unlike their countrymen, Pryapisme, moderation does not exist in the world Ni. That being said there is a strange and cacophonic consistency and red thread throughout the music of Ni that actually had me enjoying the madness.

"Bouif" opens the record with a French chanson sample that is quickly replaced by harsh screaming and Mike Patton-esque bass plucking and odd signatures being complimented by searing and eclectic solo work. It is clear that the bass gets a lot of attention in this quartet, and it is both heavy, loud and potent throughout the record, which is not surprising considering the music is mostly instrumental. "Cuistre" also lends some inspiration of doom metal in its tempo and post-metal in execution. "Rodomont" is quirky but continues within the same lane as a lot of the other tracks, but here the guitar-work is riddled with crazy effects including a delay that brings to mind 8-bit gaming sounds, as if you were playing an ancient version of a Resident Evil game. It is both unsettling and intriguing at the very exact time. Here the singer provides some much-needed variety as the vocals are used in an instrumental fashion that heightens the gloominess and supplies more depth to the overall sound. It is, however, hard to decipher the differences between the songs, it is all so chaotic, so if you are looking for catchy hooks and riffs that stay with you long after, then Ni is definitely not your thing. That being said songs like "Marpaud" and "Flaquadin" do feature some very memorable guitar work, and the latter has some of the most appealing harmonics techniques I have heard in a very long time.

This is not fast-food music, it is not meant to be easily digested and consumed only at times when one's audial-attention is at the lowest, like when you are hungover or tired. Ni demands attention at an avantgardistic level, where a casual listen just really isn't an option, as you will lose track. That being said, I am not personally a massive fan of what Ni is doing, even with this considered, but I can only applaud and recommend them to fans of the intriguing math/jazzcore/fusion world, which is in my opinion, almost never a waste of time. So if you are open-minded and bored of conventionality, then check out Ni. You may just like the French craze.

7

Download: Gringuenade, Bouif, Flaquadin
For The Fans Of: Tomahawk, Pryapisme, Animals As Leaders
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 20.04.2015
Supadope Factory

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