City Spotlight: NYC - Part 1 of 3

Naam

While Naam's debut album definitely fits into the realm of doom metal, it would be unfair to pigeonhole them as a metal band. Just as much about psychedelia as heavy guitars, Naam displays no shortage of outside influences. Much of their stuff borders rock (with a stark classic rock influence taking root) territory and it's not like they've never done an acoustic based song.  

Escaping the bustle of Brooklyn, they went to a Cabin in the Catskills to record their self titled masterpeice. The album seemingly came out of nowhere - it was fully engrossing, encapsulating a perfect contrast between psychedelia and darkness, atmosphere and riffs. Between more substantial releases, they put out two wonderfully done Nirvana covers - considerably reworking the bridge to "Drain You" and putting a drug-ladden psychedelic spin on "Pennyroyal Tea". 

Their subsequent and latest release "Ballad of the Starchild" isn't such a far cry from their debut album. There is some essential tweaking that stops it from being a repeat offering; namely the introduction of warmer tones as well as an increased classic rock influence. The EPs opener "Sentry of Skies" is a sorrowful yet warm psychedelic folk song that really sees Naam exploring new territory. This EP also spawned Naam's first music video, which features the band playing on a cliff, plugged into a large pyramid shaped amp as well as some trippy shit I won't ruin for you.

Part of what makes Naam such a successful band is their fluid integration of influences. While they do draw on the tropes of different genres, they blend them in a way that is original. They have a unique sound and no qualms with experimentation. Hell, they even include a black metal inspired section in one of their songs. Heavy psychedelia seems to be making a comeback lately, and Naam are no doubt one of the best of this school. As an added bonus, they have some of the best facebook posts of any band I've seen. 

Review - Apocryphon: Self Titled EP

A Spectacular Mix Of Death Metal And Psychedelia

Apocryphon are a true diamond in the rough. Playing a unique brand of psychedelic death metal, their genius is the ability to mix the orthodox with left field experimentation. They play with the charm of old school death metal, with tech-death being frequently let into the mix. The psychedelic influences are just icing on the cake, putting an interesting touch to an already amazing release. With strong songwriting, excellent instrumentation and unique psychedelic experimentation, Apocryphon stand firmly ahead of the pack. 

Its difficult to pinpoint exactly why, but technical death metal and psychedelia mesh incredibly well together. Perhaps it is due to the contrasting styles. It worked incredibly well with Gigan's spectacular "Order of the False Eye". Orbweaver, who have an ex member of Gigan, also employ this style with great success. Before anyone gets the wrong idea, Apocryphon are certainly not strictly tech-death - they have plenty of orthodox riffs. They do, however, have many technical passages. The samples enhance the psychedelic vibe, with topics including subject matter like aliens and LSD. There occasionally brief psychedelic soundscapes, which helps this album stand apart from other death metal releases. 

The instrumentation is spectacular. The guitar is a large part of what makes Apocryphon so special. The riffs are varied, never falling into a routine of monotonous formula. The lead guitar near the beginning of "Carnivophile" is incredible - being both ferocious and a bit bizarre; the arabesque tremolo that follows is an example of how Apocryphon try many different ideas with their music. The drums, while not as out there as Gigan or Orbweaver, are perfect at what they do. While they don't ever really take the forefront, their drummer is obviously a very talented man and always displays good taste. The bass also briefly takes centre stage at times, which is something they might want to consider doing more of in the future.

Apocryphon's ability to mix the orthodox with the bizarre is astounding. While many technical death metal bands forgo coherent song structures and many psychedelic bands go in a more formless jam oriented direction, these guys have serious chops when it comes to crafting a song's structure. Their songwriting is coherent and always go somewhere. Never do their songs drift off into a stagnant dirge - they are always fresh and enthralling. 

Apocryphon are a shining example of how there is still new territory to explore in death metal. They bring new light to an old sound. With a solid mix of the familiar and the strange, this EP is great from beginning to end. The psychedelic sections are a wonderful addition, although not the main attraction, these parts do much to give this release character. One can only hope that the psychedelia is something that is even more prominent in their next release. This is a true gem, and one of the more interesting recent death metal releases.

95/100