Nowen - Essence Of Fear

Finland’s Nowen offer ‘Essence Of Fear’, their second full length album for your listening pleasure. I say pleasure because that is what it is. From start to end, this album crosses the boundaries of death metal, death/thrash and melodic death metal, there is at no quarter that this album takes too much from any one genre, there is an art present that provides a combination of all styles, much to the bands credit.

‘Crown Of Fallacy’ does rub shoulders with powerhouses such as American giants Death, there is a touch of progressive death metal atmospherics, and a great funky bass line appearing from time to time screaming of metal competency. If that is not enough, take the thundering bass lines and drum work akin to the likes of Viking warriors Amon Amarth which puts the heavy into this album, but ever so subtlety. Vocally, “Lappis” (Mikko Lappalainen) tears through the fabric of this hybrid death metal album composition, the range is more suited to the heavier end of the scale, but I cannot say that this causes be any discernible glitches and the way songs like the aforementioned are crafted together, it means your time is invested wisely. Each track is crafted in such a clever way, it does not give you an opportunity to pick out individual moments of glory, by this I mean I almost get a little complacent, I’m expecting great things with each second that passes, perhaps this makes it a little too much to take in, I am not one to stifle creativity, as this is what you have here, but the death metal makes more noise than the death/thrash, a genre oversaturated in its nature, no matter how good songs like ‘Acts of Deceit’ are and this does warrant a further half point in the ratings.

For from that to be a downside to this release, I just find that I want something that little bit extra after you are teased with some cracking assortment of ideas. ‘Essence Of Fear’ is a well-rounded effort that will hopefully not fall into the ether of obscurity upon its release but lacks a little focus and specialisation towards one particular musical forte.

  1. Intro II
  2. The Egotist
  3. The Inner Beast
  4. Crown Of Fallacy
  5. Path Of Destruction
  6. Sacrifice For Nothing
  7. Deadly Force
  8. The Honor
  9. Acts Of Deceit
  10. Corrupted By Poison
  11. Essence Of Fear

Reviewer: twansibon
Jan 16, 2012

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