Nero di Marte Present Beautifully Epic, Progressive Post Metal On New LP

More than five years after their previous album, Italy’s progressive post metal band Nero di Marte are returning with their brand new record Immoto on January 24 via Season of Mist. The piece packs beautifully epic songs, most of which are quite long (only one clocks in at less than five minutes), and the band fill this space with perfectly gripping dynamics. Their incredibly restrained performances on tracks like the somber “Irradia” contrast dramatically with the amply intense blast beat driven segments in songs like the title track. Although that drama alone provides space for plenty of fascination, the band further unite their craft with clearly passionate performances that feel exemplified perfectly by the vocal work from the group’s Sean Worrell. His clear but low and passionately varied presentation feels almost operatic, and combined with the rest of the piece, the band’s presentation feels subtly awe-inspiring, like you can’t help but stop and listen.

It’s like letting loose in a fittingly theatrical environment where the smallest pinpricks of emotion get amplified big time. The band really dive completely into this idea of turning these big sweeping songs into powerful statements of artistic flourish. They’ve got plenty of straightforwardly really solid riffs and intricately gripping drum performances to go around, but they’re also indulging in poignant extremes like the slow down into almost complete silence on that song “Irradia.”

Their style might be called something like progressive blackened doom or post metal, if one had to use a description along those lines. They’ve got plenty of drawn out atmosphere filled with guitar tones that seem to just float along, but, when the time feels right and they’ve developed a poignant opening, they’ve also got plenty of frigid intensity, with abrupt dramatic turns. Their rhythms jump around at times, but that personalized passion always ties the mix together.

Experiencing this album feels like the taste of a fine wine — core flavors are intact, but the band also feature nuances guiding the listener off into new possibilities of sound. The clear accessibility combined with the cohesively flowing, exciting, always intense drama makes this album feel like the experience of breaking free of some previous bonds. The perspective of the music has caught the freedom rush in the act, and stepping into the songs feels like the wind whipping across your face right away.

5/5 Stars

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