Nothnegal Maldives

"After some delays, Maldivian metallers Nothnegal's debut album "Decadence" is finally here, and I would say that it has been worth waiting for.

Embracing a modern melodeath sound, with elements of metalcore, Nothnegal make use of both groove and melody, and there are also atmospheric keyboards and samples to be heard on the album, which further help generate the melodic and modern feel, but which also give some of the tracks a slightly spacey character (just check the title track). I actually quite like the lushness that the keyboards and electronic effects contribute to the overall sound.

Most of the tracks are build around either groovy or thrashy midtempo riffs - although there are some uptempo passages in a track like 'Armageddon' - and thus many of the songs on the album come across as being quite heavy (just check tracks like 'R.A.D.A.R.' or 'Sins of Our Creations'), and some tracks are even quite progressively inclined, such as 'Sins of Our Creations', 'Janus' and 'Singularity' - the keyboards also add a progressive feel, as do the often jazz-inspired solos.

The musicianship is impeccable, although Fufu's harsh vocals is probably a required taste (I must admit I prefer the clean vocals on 'Singularity'), but overall the performance is extremely tight, and I also like the big overall production of the album.

Fans of modern melodic metal should definitely check this album out.

(review originally posted at metalmusicarchives.com)"