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Nothing Noble

Modern Dismay

Written by: PP on 10/10/2021 12:47:32

Copenhagen, Denmark-based Nothing Noble used to go under the moniker of Everything Is Terrible, but opted to rename the band to Nothing Noble last year, and in connection re-released their debut album with a new name, "Everything Is Terrible". It sounds like the boys have taken significant steps forward on their sophomore album "Modern Dismay", which echoes the Rise Records roster of a few years ago in just about every which way.

Armed with boatloads of polish and a modernist compressed production, the band's take on djent-laden metalcore is in the same realm as bands like Periphery, Heart Of A Coward, and perhaps Misery Signals. We're talking synth-backed melodies, angular stop/start sequences, groovy riffs, and thick growls, the basic building blocks of djent. The delivery is convincing from a stylistic perspective, albeit a little generic and derivative considering how little new it brings to the saturated genre. That may well be Nothing Noble's primary problem as they attempt to catapult themselves into international attention: how will they distinguish themselves from like-minded and like-sounding competition from especially the American scene. They simply sound too much like everyone else playing this style, despite songs like the title track and "Risen" striking out with their intricate polyrhythmic technicalities and monstrous growls.

One way to stand out is to use guest vocalists. Here, Brendan Murphy of Counterparts fame features on "Bond Of Blood", but it feels more like a side note than a noteworthy performance to be perfectly honest. But on "Torn Asunder", which features Møl's Kim Sternkopf on shrieky black metal guest vocals, it's a different story. His charismatic performance helps elevate the song to be one of the highlights on the record, but at the same time underlines why their main vocalist's monotonous growls are in desperate need of differentiation from others to stand out.

The all-instrumental "Carnation" showcases Nothing Noble's technical prowess and songwriting ability, recalling Scale The Summit in its atmospheric beauty. It's an example that proves Nothing Noble is indeed able to write solid songs when they step out of the generic djent playbook. Ultimately with "Modern Dismay", Nothing Noble demonstrates they know the genre inside out. But despite a crisp, professional production and great technical ability, their expression overall isn't interesting enough to capture international attention. After all, why not just listen to Periphery or Vildhjarta instead?

Download: Modern Dismay, Risen, Bond Of Blood, Torn Asunder, Carnation
For the fans of: Periphery, Heart Of A Coward, Vildhjarta, Misery Signals
Listen: Facebook

Release date 06.08.2021
Prime Collective