Nihilo - Made of Lies (2024)
By Flork (IG, FB)
Standing as a symbol of natural grandeur, the Swiss Alps paint a landscape of stark contrasts where the serenity of snow-capped peaks collides with the brutal force of the elements. For this music critic, Switzerland conjures images of an orderly and sophisticated society, with lots of money in its banks and where everyone wears a Rolex and keeps an oversized milking cow in the barn at the back of their gardens. And despite eating lots of cheese with holes in it and yodelling on the slopes of the Matterhorn (or is that Austria?), the Swiss still manage to do even death metal very well. I mean that. Nihilo‘s most recent compilation album Made of Lies, which was released earlier this spring at the end of May 2024, is a prime example of music played extremely well.
Formed in 2003 in Bern (or near Bern), Nihilo has spent over two decades developing a sound that is both haunting and mesmerizing, with thematic explorations focusing on themes that come with the territory of heavy music: death, hate, and war. Ragulan Vivekananthan‘s guttural vocals, which creates the soul (although this is anything but soul music) of the band‘s intensity, are as honest as they are distinctive. I say this because he’s been there since the band’s inception, with the rest of the members joining at various times over the years, deepening their evolution and progress with the vocals at the core. Their present lineup—Nils Hugi‘s precise rhythm guitar, Marco Kessi‘s sharp lead work, Damiano Fedeli‘s blistering drumming, and Flo Keller‘s tight bass grooves—the band‘s energy and ability to harmonise not just the music, but themselves as a unit, delivers an auditory experience that’s larger than life, much like the Swiss landscape that inspires them.
The title track Made of Lies opens the album and sets the tone for the album‘s raw, unrelenting energy. At just over two and a half minutes, this track is a rapid-fire declaration of the album’s power, with Nils and Marco‘s heavy guitars and Ragulan’s growling vocals laying down a relentless foundation that propels the song forward. The concise song structure only heightens the track‘s aggression and embodies the ferocity of their Swiss Alpine roots in a compact burst of energy. This is such an awesome track as it slows a bit towards the end, demonstrating creativity in the composition and those to follow.
Tracks like Homicidal Pleasures and Antichrist showcase the band‘s ability to add an element of complexity into their compositions while maintaining an unmistakable sense of brutality. Homicidal Pleasures shifts tempo expertly, creating an eerie tension with subtle atmospheric build-ups before unleashing a storm of riffs and rapid percussion. It’s a bit reminiscent of a psychedelic kaleidoscope, yet it still provides a deep, resonant pulse that adds a distinct layer of darkness. I like how Fedeli‘s drumming is tight and calculated, never overplaying, yet always serving the song‘s aggressive drive. In Antichrist, the guitar work creates moments of tension and release effortlessly, with almost ambient, yet melodic flourishes that contrast the track’s otherwise relentless pace. In fact, the whole album is relentless and deep, with very few moments to come up for air.
As the album progresses, tracks like No Fire Zone and Flaming Bed in Benum exemplify the band‘s technical range. No Fire Zone showcases Hugi‘s intricate rhythm guitar, weaving complex, palm-muted patterns that create a sense of urgency, while Keller‘s bass underpins the chaos, holding it all together. I love the spoken bit towards the end and the heaviness of the music that follows. Flaming Bed in Benum doesn’t disappoint, especially with regards to the vocals, which are managed beautifully between the two voices, kind of like a conversation between a younger demon and an older, wiser one. This track takes a more atmospheric approach, with over 5 minutes, making it the longest track on the album. The two vocals give the track an expansive, almost thought-provoking feel, and this is felt in Insomnia which follows.
The concluding track Meating encapsulates the album‘s closing sentiments. Here, all elements come together in a well-layed finale. Ragulan‘s vocals are as vicious as ever, the younger and older demon cut through the maelstrom of sound with an agreeing tone.The high notes on Kessi‘s leads mirror the chaotic energy of the song, while Fedeli‘s drumming and Keller‘s bass lines add weight and depth to the overall finished product. It‘s a masterful, concentrated burst of energy and ends as abruptly as the album begins, bringing Made of Lies to an explosive, yet satisfying conclusion.
And the Flork‘s prognosis? There’s no doubt that Made of Lies delivers a masterful exploration of contrast, especially in terms of vocal dialogues, which are as complex and multifaceted as the music that accompanies them. The blending of death metal with layers of crunch and grind is a work that is as intellectually engaging as it is aggressive in terms of sounds. Released at the end of May 2024, Made of Lies offers a snapshot of their career so far while continuing to push the boundaries of extreme music. Devil’s horns raised high on this one.
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