I don’t know so much about the Indonesian music scene but what I do know is that there are a vast number of bands, most of whom people don’t know about. Post and atmospheric black metal is Numeron’s chosen style. “Road to Valhalla” is Numeron’s second album. In line with its evocative sleeve artwork, it explores the search for peace and the quest for understanding over a lifetime.
Once the initial moody formalities are over, this album is anything but peaceful. Exploding into life, the vocalist screams. The drummer lays down a fast and aggressive pace. The album starts with “Light Upon The Ground”. The mood changes briefly to a mistier scene with a post metal ring before the fire restarts, but with a lofty and striking contribution from the guitarist. Echoing, distant guitar notes start “Blood in my Vein”. As with “Light Upon the Ground” a furious black metal outburst erupts, switching tempo downwards briefly before spreading further fury. The hook lies in the ethereal guitar work and unusual mid-section. While sparks fly, the instrumentals still afford a lofty aura. Black metal angst combined with ringing post metal guitar work seems to be the ingredients. “Believer” has these qualities. Ingredients alone however do not make a meal.
Off we blast again. The pure black metal of “Noise of Dystopia” is enhanced by the wider ranging atmosphere that intense post metal brings. Make no mistake, “Noise of Dystopia” has smoke coming out of it. That smoke comes out of the atmospheric gloom and mist. All the while the black metal menace and ferocity wield daggers and aggression. It’s a potent mix. “Valhalla” swings from more raw black metal to a dreamier atmospheric section and finishing with both. “Lustre” did better for me, only switching down towards the end by which time the rawness has been enhanced with an epic quality. Let me theorise for a moment: where black metal is style A and the atmospheric post metal is style B, it’s only when the two are brought together that this is truly effective and inspiring. Hmm. I’d say that on the strength of this album Numeron don’t always achieve this. The final song “Epifora” is in the customary post black metal style, and threatens to overflow with its emotion or atmosphere but it’s almost as if Numeron didn’t want that, keeping it under control instead.
I liked this album for its intensity and its styles, namely raw black metal and the emotive and atmospheric sections. Yet at time it’s almost as if the band wanted to keep these elements apart. With the exception of “Noise of Dystopia” and “Lustre” I didn’t always feel that Numeron took advantage of their creative skill by either building the pressure or blending the two coherently and reaching irresistible heights for the listener. The raw material is there, and this is an engaging album but I felt that on the “Road to Valhalla” Numeron left something out there.
(6.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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