Research told me that this is the fourth album release by this Polish sludge post-metal band. Beyond this, I knew nothing about MuN when I started listening to “Nhemis”.
I spent the first four minutes or so waiting for something to happen. What I did hear was something breezing along quite nicely in a post-rock style. That was “Zmey” (Change). “Yvygenya” then starts with a pagan style chorus before the darkness ramps up, the growly voice comes in and a wall of heaviness takes over, but without losing the sensitivity and life that had been a feature of “Zmey”. “Yvygenya” pulls us impressively in different directions. Speaking of direction, the album clearly is heading in a deeper and darker one. “Arakne” is pungent and punishing. The bass guitar and drum see to that. A brief reflective passage provides respite before we return the roaring and cavernous noise. “Thelo” is more subtle and wavy to begin. The heavy, thunderous forces emerge once more but are counterbalanced by a fresh cascading, post-metal ring. Atmospheric darkness is taking over, and with the drum signalling the build-up “Thelo” plays out powerfully and dramatically.
The mystical chorus returns as accompaniment to the steadily driving “Nehtropy”. Backwards and forwards it saws, always heavily in post-metal style. As I listened to the choir again on “Oizyia”, it made me think of warriors around camp fires in the woods, but only for a short time as the pace picks up and with an invigorating guitar accompaniment, the growling vocalist roars in before the pace flattens and there is relative calm for a few moments. Pungent, heavy darkness returns – a little Insomnium like, I thought – and a ferocious atmosphere is maintained. The steady guitar marking the beginning of “Apokaire”, accompanied by that haunting pagan choir, has a folkish element to it, albeit this is dark metal. The pace picks up, and after a static section, it descends into blackness and growly guitars. The haunting vocals, which have become more prominent and remind me throughout of the French band Himinbjorg in style, feature once more on the stoic darkness of “Anesy”, the final act of this substantial album.
“Nhemis” comprises eight evocative pieces. I didn’t get any sense of continuity, seeing them as separate entities which developed their own personalities. I can’t say the whole album was uplifting and it’s rarely exciting, but the soundscapes are undoubtedly dark, and musically solid.
(7/10 Andrew Doherty)
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