Band: Neviah Nevi
Title: Tales Of Terror
Label: Wounded Records
Release Date: June 2009
Review By: Scott L
Tracklisting:
- Virtue
- Immortal Reign Of Vincent Price
- Molestation Of Innocence
- No Escape
- Pit And The Pendulum
- Infiltration
- Blood Stained Hands
- Pushing Up Daisies
- Eve Of Destruction
- Break These Chains
Me and my big mouth. There I was at church talking with Dale from Metal Pulse Radio when I off-handedly mentioned that I need to review some music with a bit more of a bite than my normal indie-rock-alt-pop stuff. Next thing I know, Dale’s dropping a stack of CD’s in my lap and promising that there’s a whole lot more where those came from.
I’ll be honest, when opportunity knocks, my first urge is usually to bolt the door. But, hey, why not, right? I mean what could it hurt? And technically, I did ask for it. Besides, I grew up listening to bands like Venom, Death, and Flotsam and Jetsam. Just because I’ve mellowed out a bit over time doesn’t mean I’ve lost my appreciation for the harder side of the musical world. Heck, even after I got saved I loved bands like Thresher, Sacrament and Pale Horse. Even today I still find time for Inked In Blood, August Burns Red, and Destroy The Runner. These are great tunes for the gym or to get pumped up before hitting the ice for some old time hockey. So here goes…
Let me start by saying that I’m sure glad I can just write the band name instead of trying to say it. Anyway, Neviah Nevi is a 6-piece out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with a hardcore style similar to In Irons, Whitechapel, or With Blood Comes Cleansing. Since Neviah Nevi is fronted by a female vocalist, immediate comparisons will be made to Bloodlined Calligraphy. This isn’t too far off. Although the vocals on “Tales Of Terror” come off a little weak in some places… like on the opening track “Virtue”. Probably not the best way to start the CD off, but rest assured, it does get better. The vocals actually turned out to be one of my favorite parts of this release. There’s a surprising amount of diversity in the singing style; clean melodic, guttural, raspy, some nice gurgling hiss, and even some metalcore-ish squealing. Instrumentally, the music is pretty atypical for this genre. A generous amount of change-ups, breakdowns, and stutter step tempos. Keys are used sparingly to lend a more atmospheric sound from time to time but don’t ever overpower any of the songs.
Lyrically, Neviah Nevi is all about the gospel. Strong messages with Christ-centered themes. DeAngela may sound like she’s gargling razor blades, but she’s sure not mincing her words. Consider the song “Blood Stained Hands” through which she rasps, “burn the flesh / destroy the mind / sever the tie that binds / the smell of death lingering / aromas rise / worshipping / blood stained hands lifted high / transform / renew / take my life / make me new / we won’t give in / we’ll leave the past behind / now that it’s gone / we’re making up for time / the ashes of your memory / are no longer in the gravel / blood stained hands lifted high”.
The standout track was “Pushing Up Daisies”. Great sound and a great message about the Christian’s victory over death, Hell, and the grave through Christ’s blood. It’s nice sometimes to be reminded that there really are some Christian bands that actually sing about Christ. What a concept.
Overall: Neviah Nevi crank it up and churn out 10 tracks that, while not perfect, show nice progression from their previous release “By The Blood Of Their Feet” and that fearlessly proclaim the gospel. So if you liked their debut release, or if you’re a fan of hardcore music in general, you should probably take the time to give Neviah Nevi a listen.
www.myspace.com/nnrocks