The Ukrainian band with a name taken from the Cthulhu myths, Nug, make this year's debutantes when it comes to long plays. Their Alter Ego was released back in August and inspired me with dark and striking post-metal.
The band offer dense, guitar backgrounds that make it almost impossible for anything to show through. Sometimes they sound very doom metal-like, sometimes like inspired by other sub-genres but most importantly, there's a lot of heavy and dark post-metal in them, the one that crushes with the weight more likely than tearing apart with aggression. But it's quite the opposite with the husky, screaming vocals that in songs such as Psyche brings awe with the direct influence on the audience.
Together they make this unique combination that doesn't do everything to be the fastest music in the world but rather focuses on the atmosphere generation on one hand and casting violent notes with the accuracy and power of an express train on the other. What's more, and this is something I love, they like using bits of sudden silence which, for example in Eleven turns out to be even more striking than the loudest of guitars. Perfect from start to finish.
Alter Ego costs 7.99 USD.
Check: Eleven
Country: Ukraine
Genre: darkened post-metal
Label: Willowtip Records
