With only a single band on Metal Archives, and very little other information out there regarding what is happening within it's extreme music scene, Ethiopia seems like dead space musically for fans of harsher tones and brutality. A quick search yields a single black metal band, Nishaiar, out of the country. My interest in Ethiopian music was initially formed several years back while perusing Awesome Tapes From Africa's page and coming upon Teshome Wolde and Hailu Mergia and a few others doing traditional music from the region. Teshome Wolde's Teshome Wolde and Dahlak Band immediately grabbed my attention with it's oddball rhythms and unexpectedly catchy yet awkward melodies. Hailu Mergia was a different level altogether, with a jazzy free-form mixture of smooth notes and keys. The style of these acts amounts to what world music experts have deemed Ethio-jazz.
2018.11.02: Would any of these characteristics make it's way into the singular black metal band that appears to exist in the region? Unsure, and without demoing the material, I bought Gondar based Nishaiar's discography on bandcamp. A single review from a user on Metal Archives gave positive inclinations that the band was on to something interesting in reference to their album from this year, Irix Zerius. I attempted contact through Bandcamp in hopes that I could get some further recommendations and contacts in the scene from the members. While I awaited response, I jammed heavily Nishaiar's albums before I heard back from the band. The four members include Lord of Zenadadz performing vocals, which I assume only refers to the harsher black metal vocals and guitars. Explorer of the abyss handles the bass which is prominent on all four of their albums. Lycus Aeternam supplies synthesized sounds and vocals as well. On drums is the very capable Arcturian Night.
Nishaiar - Era 1 (2017)
Nishaiar's debut, to underplay my emotions upon first listening, should be considered a monumental achievement in extreme metal for a number of reasons. Putting aside the context of being potentially the first black metal album from Ethiopia, being genuinely unique in tone and secondary influences, and tapping into the imagery of an entirely new atmospheric design, Era 1 is simply an incredibly written and paced record that, from the moment the massive guitars in opening track "Logos 1" punch you in the gut, is evidence that extreme metal taps into a deep inner subconscious regardless of cultural background. In short, there will always be those that "get it" and that it doesn't matter where in the world these individuals live. As I mentioned, Era 1, absolutely rules from the start. The best way to describe the overall feeling of the album is to imagine if Varg Vikernes was actually Ethiopian and Filosofem was written with that atmosphere in mind. The tracks are thick, with a dry rumbling guitar tone. "Logos 1" is the main highlight for me, though what really stands out is the strength of the compositions across the whole album. "Idhar" follows the stoic opening track with a more uplifting melodic movement that carries into the light acoustic "Metamorphosis," which cuts into the heavier feeling of the album. "Ozdhar" is starts out with blistering blasting drums and is the most recognizably 'western' black metal track. Lycus Aeternam has an ear for perfect synthesizer usage in the music and his ability to key into the melodic undertones and feel of the tracks is on par with the melodic brilliance which Negura Bunget produced on Om. It is clear that there is heavy influence from purely atmospheric black metal as well as post-black metal and post-rock here, however this nonetheless is a definitive black metal album and demands attention worldwide.
Nishaiar - Universum (2017)
Nishaiar's second album, Universum, hints at the direction that the band would take on future releases to follow while still retaining a large amount of what made Era 1 so phenomenal. Nishaiar has refined some elements of their sound here, namely the atmospheric component, to truly be representative of their Ethiopian homeland through decisively non-western melodic movements that are more likely to invoke images of towering spires from ancient mosques than the burnt out hollows of churches. I see this as evidence that the dark underbelly and aggression which draped black metal's infamy has not yet truly found a home within this land; that there is a heavier influence musically from the atmospheric and textural elements than there is from the ideological elements of traditional black metal. What this yields is a positive in that the pure beauty in this music affords Nishaiar operating space within a culture that is still not fully westernized and that it could feed more interest to the genre from which Nishaiar has allowed to flow forth from. "Seinphar" is a great example of the black metal elements combining flawlessly with the atmospheric elements. Vocals across the release incorporate traditional singing, harsh black metal screams, and sampled material to create a rich tapestry of moods and sounds. The percussion on Universum is more black metal oriented to my ears, and this is one of the steps forward from Era 1. More songs have characteristics of the black metal genre such as harsh vocals, double bass and blast beating, hypnotic ritualistic atmospheres, and image-invoking melodies. The album is about fifty percent this black metal mixture and fifty percent purely soundscapes, particularly the second half of the record.
Nishaiar - Irix Zerius (2018)
Irix Zerius is the album which first presents Nishaiar's style of Atmospheric Black Metal in it's refined, perfected state. This isn't to say the album is perfect, but that the combination of influences, sounds, and textures is heightened and coalesced to a degree by which the band is singularly identifiable. Should bands emerge in a similar style, Nishaiar and Irix Zerius will be the origin point. The local folk elements, the non-western influenced sounds and vocals, and the vibe of distant lands and cultures are heightened and empowered by the black metal moments and drumming. The album also shows Nishaiar's ability to create a wide range of variety. While songs such as "Kantorum", "Virgonaut" and "Desenmba" highlight the band's black metal background. A song like "Azief," with it's acoustics, Ethiopian chants, and backing vocals are purely outside the genre. "Liademna" as well fits this template. It was difficult to decide on my favorite track on Irix Zerius. I had believed it to be "Virgonaut," which is heavily undulating, with constant black metal drumming beneath the slowly evolving soundscape that spreads across the song but the sheer uniqueness of it's tail, "Bewatar", makes for such an iconic example of experimentation in the black metal genre. The track incorporates a number of vocal and percussive effects that adds to the intensity and drive, while the melodic foundation is curious and passionate, yet stern and serious. Irix Zerius is loaded with fantastic textures and ideas and feelings. The only weakness I find is that as compositions, the songs don't particularly seem to have peaks, or climaxes. It would be nice, for instance in a song like "Ahrien" to have a decisive moment, which is not there. This is true for many songs. Perfected in style, but there is still room for improvement in relation to the crafting of individual, gripping songs. "Bewatar" is the most complete.
Nishaiar - Igewanda (2018)
Nishaiar's most recent album continues on from Irix Zerius' more amalgamated composition tendencies. Igewanda never really separates itself from the shadow which Irix Zerius cast. The majority of tracks with the exception of perhaps, "Duhanakhar" fit the atmospheric black metal moments into the arrangements as short bursts of intensity to create transitional effect. This gives the album a much more world-music or soundscape vibe than that of a black metal album. In this, it can be said the album continues the progression away from black metal and more towards electronic and chillstep. What I don't find on Igewanda is a single track which, in abdication of the metal influences, matches up to "Bewatar" in impact and memorability for a track that has abandoned the black metal flourishes. This is disheartening. When the most notable component of your atmospheric black metal album is exactly how little black metal there is on it, it becomes time to reconsider genre labels and boundaries. I say this not as a warning, but as an objective statement. The tracks still remain very enticing and just because the band takes a step further away from the heavier material which only a year earlier they had so masterfully crafted doesn't imply they are no longer relevant. Nishaiar are proving that they are seeking a sound all their own, which I must commend. I'm concerned that they peaked with Irix Zerius, though. If they could better combine the more metallic elements of Era 1 and the atmospheres they are working with now, listeners could be in for a real treat.
The response I got back from the band on October 25th was short. Simply put, they want to allow their music to speak entirely for them and are not interested in conducting any interviews or correspondence. This, to me, is a perfectly acceptable stance to have as an artist. After thanking them for contacting me back, on the 28th, Nishaiar did tell me that there are no other extreme metal bands in Ethiopia that they know of. All the articles online that I could find are simple basic cut and pastes of Nishaiar's own description from bandcamp for clicks on their ill-informed articles with little or no information. Disappointed at the lack of future prospects, I await further correspondence from anyone with more information on Ethiopian metal or extreme music.
No comments:
Post a Comment