vote
8.0
- Band:
Noctambulist (NL) - Duration: 00:45:45
- Available since: 07/02/2025
- Label:
-
These Hands Melt
Born in 2016 in Tilburg, the Noctambulists (not to be confused with the homonymous American group) debut five years later with “Noctambulist i: Elegieën”: from the beginning, their goal is to combine the ferocity of black metal with disturbing and melancholy melodies, giving shape to a darkness that permeates every aspect of their aesthetics, and the disc is a timid effort to go This direction.
The ideas, however, are clear and if, with the first attempt, they are only sketched, already at the second exit the result is of a higher level: “Noctambulist II: De Droom”, in fact, sounds surprisingly mature for such a young band and represents a decisive step forward with respect to the debut, especially in terms of composition. The icy anger of the debut remains intact but, this time, the multiple influences are perfectly integrated into the Black Metal tissue, in a work that lives on contradictions and antithetical moods. The tone of the whole disc can already be understood by the eloquent cover, which represents a luxurious bedroom in an abandoned villa, a strident image of something that has been and perhaps is no longer, reflection of the themes of hope, failure and abandonment, different phases that we cross during our life.
It is legitimate to talk about post-Black metal and the Harakiri for the Sky can be mentioned, in particular those of the last few years, for the emotional charge that this music releases, also feel echoes of Alcest and Defheaven, but what makes the sound of the peculiar Noctambulists is the contamination with truly massive doses of post-punk and shoegaze, with intransigent outlets in Screaming that melt in soft sections in which the melody prevails, maintaining a balance that is not taken for granted for a band 'only' on the second disc.
The most surprising aspect is the ability to know how to use a wide range of colors, to best describe all the sensations ranging from euphoria to depression: from what is known, unlike what has been done in the past, all the members of the group have participated in the writing of these pieces, rich in details and elegant without losing adrenaline, and this collective effort has led to a result beyond expectations. The choice to adopt a clean production capable of emphasizing every single nuance does not go to impact the expressive urgency that, on the contrary, comes out strengthened; Various plays are needed to understand every detail, but the album grows over time and, usually, this is a solidity index.
The peak of intensity is reached with songs such as “Vinex”, between walls of guitars and slowdowns they know of new wave, while in “Lichteter” it seems to listen to some U2 single from the 80s in the background; The intro of “Gevoelsmens” instead recalls an alternative product of the following decade, before a real explosion, and the nervous riffing of “Petrichor” even refers to Sonic Youth. All this wealth of digressions, apparently dispersive, is inserted in a coherent flow and, together with a certain catchy, it is the strength of the proposal.
Post-Black Metal is a malleable matter that, by nature, lends itself to contaminations: the Noctambulists have worked precisely in this sense, remodeling sounds already felt previously with the aim of integrating them with others in foreign theory, in an original way and according to personal and not codified canons.
The result is a punch of dense, moving songs, which affect deeply and propose the Dutch as a new reality in the genre. As the title of the opening and closing piece of the opening: “The dream died, long life to the dream“.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
