The FREQUENCY-IRELAND Music Alternative

An independent voice on choice sounds from the alternative/underground music scene in Ireland.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

De Novissimis

This is unlikely to appeal to any regular readers of Frequency-Ireland, but for the benefit of variety, a mention now for De Novissimis, whose 2005 debut EP was one of a number of hardcore-metal releases sent on by Rimbaud Records for digestion (indigestion) recently. De Novissimis are undoubtedly one of Ireland’s heaviest bands at the moment. They sound like a slow lurching evil,
with doom laden satanic themes growled out with menacing vocals over deathly slow stoner riffs, although every now and then the double bass kicks in, the pace of riffs is upped four fold, and in those moments they're almost like a direct descendant of Morbid Angel. It's all quite disturbing, like an ensemble of possessed incarnates.


Actually, to me they sound quite a bit like a stoned-up death metal band. I went through a short phase of listening to bands such as Morbid Angel and Obituary back in my mid-teens (quite embarrasing as it is looking back now), and it's easy to relate back the similarities. Despite the comparisons however, they don't seem to have much to do with the metal scene here in Ireland, apparently sitting more comfortably with hardcore-punks, and fitting in with the resurgence in doom and slow heavy stoner bands. They've been compared by those more familiar with the genre to the likes of Corrupted, Burning Witch and Boris. I listened through the EP just once, and am unlikely to again, it's not a genre that interests me at all these days. Perhaps I should just now donate it to a local church group to see what they make of it, I'm sure they'd love something to get riled about.

The 2005 EP was a limited edition release of 500 copies, which is by now almost sold out. More recently, they released a split single with Tungsta on Rimbaud Records. For the curious, a track from De Novissimis can be downloaded from the Rimbaud Records website - although please note you have been warned!

Related Links:

http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=82483


http://www.rimbaudrecords.com


http://www.myspace.com/rimbaudrecords


http://www.superfirecords.co.uk