Burdens Of The Earth
Neverus
NEVERUS were formed in 2022 and they are from Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The melodic Death Metal outfit release their debut album, which was recorded and engineered by Tommie Bonajo (DISQUIET; UNDAWN) and it was mastered by Jukka (INHUMAN; OMNEROD). The album has a length of about 46 minutes, and it is an independent release. The album starts with a symphonic intro creating atmosphere and tension for the things to come. There is a seamless transition into "Banish And Burn", which is a mid-tempo track with sharp guitar riffing and a mixture of clean and growling vocals where the growls change between the low and medium end of the guttural range, whereas the cleans are around the medium end of the vocal range. The melodic framework is dark and driven by the guitars and by orchestral arrangements.
"Calderian" continues with melodeath sound supported by the orchestral arrangements. The song sounds a bit more hectic than the preceding track and there are many changes in rhythm and riffing as well as sharp tonal shifts of the vocals. The riffing is tight at times, however, with the many twists; I miss a bit the structural clarity and direction of the track. The lead guitar solo is very contributing and belongs to the best part of the song. "Lazarus" has a frantic start at blistering pace and staccato-type of riffing at times. The vocals are growls during the verse part and mainly cleans during the chorus parts. The orchestral arrangements dominate the chorus parts with the brass and they are more in the background during the verse parts. There are many twists in rhythm and in the sound, which makes it a bit challenging to follow the track. "Lazarus" is the official video release, and the YouTube link is provided below.
"From The North" is a one-minute acoustic guitar inter-lude, followed by the fast "Mournful March". While the first verse part of "Mournful March" have speed, aggression, and the growling vocals, there is sharp break with introducing the clean vocals, transitioning into mid-tempo and including melancholy in the melodies, which changes completely the atmosphere of the track. In fact, in my opinion it ruins the track. What could have been becomes evident during the excellent lead guitar solo. "One For Force" is a 40-seconds orchestral pre-lude introducing "One For Blood", which starts strongly with a blast-beat attack and epic melodies transitioning into an aggressive verse part at crazy pace. The riffing is sharp and dynamic and follows traditional melodic Death Metal riffing. The chorus parts include epic melodies at mid-tempo while the orchestral arrangements are very much in the background. Most of the vocals are growls, just a few vocal lines for the chorus are cleans. As "One For Blood" maintains a clear song structure and melodic path, it is one of the album highlights.
"Send My Spirit High" is a mixture of guitar riffing, drumming, and orchestral arrangements. The tempo changes between mid-tempo and a fast pace, and there are a few twists in the structure and melodies. The orchestral arrangements are very dominant at times, overpowering the cool riffs of the track. "Towards The Surface" has a strong start with the first riffs, the blast-beats, and the screams. Unfortunately, the song transitions then into clean singing mode during the verse part, which changes the character of the song. The chorus parts are very powerful, while the lead guitar solo is the highlight of the track. "Home" is another one-minute symphonic inter-lude driven by the piano and the strings. "Temptation" is the final track on the album, and it starts with an extended instrumental part at mid-tempo. Powerful and dark guitar riffs and the growls drive the verse parts. The majority of the vocals are growls with the few clean vocals contributing well to the track. "Temptation" is perhaps the darkest and most epic track of the album. The mixture of the guitar riffing and the symphonic parts are very well arranged, giving "Temptation" an extra dimension. It is the longest track of the album with a playing time of more than eight minutes, and it is the album highlight.
NEVERUS deliver an album with light and shadows. It is not the traditional melodic Death Metal album, it is a mixture of melodeath and symphonic elements, but it lacks the darkness of symphonic Death Metal. I often missed a clear structure in the songs as there were many different elements put together. At times, it was also not easy to follow the tracks. For me, the switch between growls and cleans often did not fly. The album is well produced. "Burdens Of The Earth" is not an easy-to-listen album, but it has its moments and a song like "Temptation" shows the potential of NEVERUS. Melodic Death Metal fans who like symphonic elements will like "Burdens Of The Earth" and it will be interesting to see how the sound of NEVERUS develops in the future.
7 / 10
Good
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Burdens Of The Earth" Track-listing:
1. On This Mountain Peak
2. Banish And Burn
3. Calderian
4. Lazarus
5. From The North
6. Mournful March
7. One For Force
8. One For Blood
9. Send My Spirit High
10. Towards The Surface
11. Home
12. Temptation
Neverus Lineup:
Jack Streat - Vocals, Guitars
Robin Ritzen - Guitars
Joris Sevat - Drums
Roman Potasse - Bass
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