Today, when a band is marked with a defined musical label (that tries to fit it on a model that already exists), it can kill the ideas of the fans. What these words mean: the experience of hearing and liking or not a band (or album) can't be translated by simple words. The writers have to express what a band plays in the best way than can (and trust me, it's not simple sometimes), but you, the fans, above everything, must trust your own ears. These words can depict how hard is to describe what the Canadian quartet NOMAD shows on their first release, "The Mountain". Their music can be described as a set of many different influences that are still being cooked in an ample cauldron: it's mainly a different form of Progressive/Technical Death Metal, but many hooking Groove Metal and Thrash Metal parts can be heard on their songs (including some introspective and hooking clean chords moments, as heard on "Haunted", and the melodic and technical Progressive appeal shown on "Revolution").

It bears energy, personality and it's different from the usual on the genre, so this album really deserves to be heard and enjoyed, besides the band still has potential to do better in the future. Bretton Melanson (the band's drummer and vocalist) is the one who signs the mixing and the sound engineering, while Christian Donaldson did the mastering. The sound quality is the Achilles' heel of the album, because it isn't so bad (one can understand what's being played clearly), but the instrumental tunes could be better sometimes (especially on the snare drums and on bass guitar parts). It's good for a first (and independent) album, but their music deserves something better.

Now, about the songs, they're really a great band, as shown on songs as "Burning Alive" (where a classic Death/Thrash Metal appeal is clear, with many contrasts between grunts and shrieks, and many hooking parts), "Haunted" (a surprising song, filled with excellent arrangements and surprising elements, as the excellent and technical bass playing and clean chords parts, and tribal percussive moments), "Revolution" (a true and Progressive, with shifts between aggressive and introspective moments with clean vocals), "A Lonely Wanderer" (this one is more aggressive than experimental, abusing of the weight due a very good and technical playing of the drums, and what lovely Progressive melodies can be heard), "Blood Moon" (this one is essentially a Progressive Death Metal song based on a fine technical appeal and some melancholic touches, but always being brutal and aggressive, with excellent guitar parts and themes), and "Choke". The others ones are equally excellent, so dive into this album without fears (and the lyrics are excellent, staying away from the usual themes based on 'gore' and 'satan' for some fictional characters, historical events, science fiction, and even Astrophysics)

With some adjusts on the sonority, and sharping their efforts, and no one will resist NOMAD's music in the future. But one will surely enjoy what is offered on "The Mountain".