I want you to imagine for a moment if you can, that if Gojira got romantically intimate with Deafheaven whilst flirting graciously with Alcest and Astronoid and produced a beautiful pure newborn!
Then what we will hear spawned from this consummation is one incredible band out of Calgary, known as Numenorean and their latest offspring being Adore. This is one of the best albums I have heard since last years near perfect Rivers Of Nihill’s – Where Owls Know My Name.
Adore is a perfect musical example of the clarity of a band’s influences, crafting them together and creating an artwork that cohesively combines and unites them beautifully. Malevolently atmospheric, harmoniously disharmonic, beautifully brutal but above all, in one word Adore is best summed up as thought provoking and stunning.
Numenorean, are at their core a post-metal shoegaze band but so much more and Adore is more a journey and experience than just another metal release.
Opening with a sombre and gentle instrumental “Nocebo” Numenorean ensure that we are comfortable and relaxed before hitting us with track two “Portrait Of Pieces”, following on from where “Nocebo” ends, “Portrait Of Pieces” gently and romantically lures us initially with a chorus delayed guitar backed by a slow doom beat before committing a full force of sonic musical extremes. “Portrait Of Pieces” is an eight minute track that universally combines the albums parts and prepares the listener for what is to follow for the albums duration. Part shoegaze, part ambient, part chaos, part black but wholly musically consuming. It is from here the listener is bound by a need and desire to hear what will follow. Vocalist Brandon Lemley’s unremorseful and passionate screams trailing out “Portrait Of Pieces” is somewhat alluring as the band trails off before launching into “Horizon”.
Starting with nothing but a frost bitten tribute kicker to Northern inspired Black Metal it’s the quick and subtle groove a minute or so in that continues to expand and begin to define the sound and character of Numenorean for those of us new to discovering them. The chaotic beauty of the post-metal feel definitely comes out halfway through “Horizon” and as with all styles of post-metal it somehow just has this perfect way of ebb and flowing and taking the listener on a journey rather than berating and pummeling their senses where they can sometimes be forced to tune out to what they are listening to, making it more background noise that entertaining and enjoyable, regardless of our heavy listening preferences. So a soft interlude “And Nothing Was The Same” follows “Horizon”, before the heavy and raw hypnotic power of “Regret”. This track is a clear indication of Numenorean’s Gojira – L’enfant Sauvage era influence on their sound. Again “Regret” as with every track within Adore has this innate and perfectly structured ability to entice and scorn the listener as to its musical content. The band as a whole are clearly a tuned and intertwined unit with the ability to symbiotically reflect each other and harmoniously write a full and compelling album that both stimulates, unnerves and reaches into their listeners souls whilst at the same time touching their inner core.
I will summarise Numenorean’s simply brilliant and near perfect album by trying to describe the title track and it’s purpose and intent to encapsulate Adore as a whole. As each song before it and so concluding with it, it is as seductive and alluring as a Siren’s call. Musically Byron, Roger, Alex and David and Brandon have written a score in Adore that universally confronts our emotions and medicates and alleviates our pains, feelings and emotions by musically connecting with fans of heavy music that want more than just a quick hit. A near nine minute sermon whose sole purpose, as with the album as an entire being, is to question and caress the listener throughout its forty-four minute duration. Blissful and beautiful Adore’s creation, Canada’s Numeorean must without question be recognised globally thankfully to their incredible gift to the world in Adore.
Adore is out now on Seasons Of Mist and can be bought here plus check out Numenorean’s premiere of their title track below.
