Noxagt - Turning It Down Since 2001
(Load)
Norway: Black Metal. Providence: Uh..Art Metal? It seems inevitable that these two scenes would collide. Noxagt, Load's Norwegian import is the sound of this collision. They are a three piece armed with drums, bass and viola. This lineup has brought them many comparisons to (an imaginary ROCK version of) The Dirty Three. But if the presence of viola is going to affect comparisons to any other band, then I'm hearing the same otherworldliness that John Cale's contributions had to The Velvet Underground.
Having filled the usual role of the guitar, Nils Erga's viola does spend a lot of time in the spotlight. Diving back and forth between carrying the melody to creating a swirling maelstrom of noise, the viola is a strange and exciting instrument for aggressive music. The bass and drums lay the groundwork with heavy and sludgy riffs and chaotic noise breakdowns. With a total play time of just under 27 minutes, the nine songs on Turning it Down Since 2001 are obviously gone almost as soon as they've arrived. So they never get tired or too repetitive.
The catchiest songs begin the album. "Mek it Burn" starts things off with a bit of a swagger: a heavy blues riff and a handful of quick stops churn beneath the canopy of the droning viola. "Cupid Shot Me" is a fast paced rush of energy. Some very impressive fingertapping from the viola and a melodic riff carry the song through its short 2 minutes. The loping rhythm and dirge melodies of "Gravy and Blood" provide the album's longest track (5 minutes). Track 5, "Church" made me laugh. It's under a minute long, and as the liner notes say, it basically sounds like the end of the track before it.
Load seems hell bent on proving to the world that abrasive and obtuse rock and roll is the best thing happening. Close on the heels of Lightning Bolt's most recent masterpiece, this Noxagt record is another very strong argument in favor of Load Records' point of view.
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