Necromimesis – Empty
The Middle East is not an easy place to be an artist right now that’s for certain, but that clearly hasn’t stopped Iran’s Saeed Nasiry one bit. His first demos were brilliant Doom and Black Metal exercises of despair but his most recent release ‘Empty’ was where he cast aside the harsh vocals and distortion soaked guitar, thus turning his solo project ‘Necromimesis’ down a more progressive road.
The fact that the EP has 3 movements named after the dark end of the colour spectrum should be your very first clue that you are not about to hear a release full of ‘Don’t worry, let’s be Happy and enjoy life!’ songs. Instead you are in for more of a melancholy experience.
Opening track ‘Sodomarium’ [Part I - Black] sets the stage on a sinister note. A giant vapour of dark energy drifts in, engulfing the area like someone letting slip bad news. Not far behind, weaving lines of keyboard sit atop mesmeric drums while Saeed murmers away in his best Trent Reznor impression. On ‘In Praise of People’ [Part I - Black ] the drums switch to more of a marching beat, and the previously mentioned ivory lines attain more of a rounded quality. The chorus features a vocal melody that is reminiscent of Roger Waters’ voice from ‘The Wall’ album which also includes some well placed harmonies. Then out of nowhere the track takes a completely unexpected turn where it suddenly flies off into the void!
It is on my favourite track ‘Wasted’ where the sorrow-filled atmosphere hits fever pitch. The lead Piano switches to a melodic line seemingly made from tears. If this was a movie soundtrack, it would certainly be the scene where the leading actor discovers the death of their most beloved friend/family member. Amongst the turmoil, Saeed gravely proclaims “it’s not fair.” Like a match being blown out, the track fades away.
The short intermission of ‘without you its so empty’ as the name suggests, makes a good intro to ‘What the Hell is Going On’ [Part III - Grey] which is one of SN’s many nods to his Funeral Doom roots, a swinging drum pattern loops like a manic depressive stuck in a vicious cycle, while organ sounds weep in the background. Just when you think it’s all over, the chords dripping with effects that appear courtesy of Delaram Sadeghzadeh fall like spring rain on ‘Nothing’ [Part III - Grey]. A reflective end to a soul wrenching and highly emotional piece of work.
It is remarkable that Saeed has completely self produced and only used voice, keyboard and drums to produce an EP of such good audio quality. At times I must admit the drums can feel a little robotic, but they are programmed well enough to lead the song rather than drag it down.
The EP’s first few tracks also have a healthy amount of Alternative/Industrial leanings, while fans of DSBM/Funeral Doom will find catharsis here despite the lack of overdriven guitar. The small amount of instrumentation produces enough gloom to put an entire nation into mourning.
To conclude, ‘Empty’ is some very well placed steps into a genre cross over, and some mighty strong foundations laid for a future full length album. A highly recommended listen for fans of: Agalloch, Esoteric, Nocturnal Depression, Steven Wilson and Ulver.
Tracklist:
1. Sodomarium [Part I - Black] 02:05
2. In Praise of People [Part I - Black] 04:13
3. Irréversible [Part II - Dark] 02:24
4. Wasted [Part II - Dark] 05:42
5. Without You, It’s so Empty [Part III - Grey] 01:50 6. What the Hell is Going On [Part III - Grey] 04:42 7. Nothing [Part III - Grey]
Line-up:
Saeed Nasiry: Vocals, Programmed Drums and Synth
With:
Hedieh Mehman-navazan: Vocals on “Irréversible”
Delaram Sadeghzadeh: Piano on “Nothing”
Links:
Prog Sphere Android App
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