〇 or sometimes called Núll is an assault on your senses, this Icelandic band comprising members of Carpe Noctem, Misþyrming, Vonlaus and Naðra is formidable to say the least and with the single track ‘Null & Void’ composition released in 2014 I can tell you that this band is a horrifying sonic exploration. Nothing about the musical experience within Núll is easy, it is incapacitating, paralyzing and cripplingly nihilistic on all fronts.
Whilst the debut album was a single track this sophomore has six compositions each as harrowing as the next as the opener, ‘None’ begins with an isolated guitar piece as a dense funereal bleakness blankets the listener as the song develops. You expect a detonation of speed but it doesn’t appear preferring to submerge in inhuman depressive blackened doom. The vocals have their own level of barbarity as the song plunges into a secluded bereft guitar riff with a despairing aura.
Flowing smoothly into ‘Reduced Beyond The Point Of Renewal’ the guitar work shivers with creepiness as the low bass work generates an atmosphere of terror as a disturbing cleaner vocal manifests that leads into post black musicality. Punishingly intense especially the vocals the song has despairing sorrow that threads through with agonising bleakness. Opaque guitar and more torture filled vocals open ‘Grasping The Outer Hull Of The Tangible’ which has a sludge terror style right before a very cool, switch in pace. The mid-tempo drive is slightly upbeat and catchy to some extent as a double kick insertion is abruptly halted for a bloodcurdling scream which is terrifying where the atmosphere has a searing malevolent intensity here that is palpable.
Dense and oppressive ‘Conjoin The Vacuous’ has a lingering guitar hook spliced in as the harsh vocals add their own level of painful, excruciating and unnerving distress. The surge in power is excellent as the song worms its way into your head via the post black guitar work as the choral vocals were a brilliant surprise and extremely effective leaving ‘An Idiosyncratic Mirage’ to conclude this staggering release. Again the atmospherics are truly disconcerting, inflicting grievous and portentous horror on the listener as the song bursts in. The music isn’t fast, preferring the slower blackened doom to envelop, smother and suffocate with viscous riffing and impacting drum work.
There will be few releases as traumatic and debilitating as this album, it is unsettling, harrowing but a wholly satisfying listening experience to immerse yourself within.
(9/10 Martin Harris)
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