NucleusSo, have you ever thought to yourself “I really wish that Tori Amos would just Metal things up a bit, y’know? Keep all that sombre melancholy but up the Prog Metal factor?” Nope, me neither, but in the hope that someone out there has just read their dream scenario then this new offering from Avant-garde band Nucleus Torn might just be for you!

That said, there is nothing particularly Metal about the opening track (there’s only 3 on here by the way, but we’ll get to that in a moment), which plonks itself firmly in latter day Kate Bush/Tori Amos territory. This may come as a surprise to anyone who has heard Nucleus Torn before as this is the first time the band have used only one vocalist to cover an entire album. This time around they have enlisted the vocal talents of Eluveitie’s Anna Murphy, who, as alluded to earlier is doing a pretty good Tori Amos impression (Nucleus Torn are NOTHING like Eluveitie in case you were wondering, which makes this an intriguing listen). Add to that the fact that the song is mostly sombre piano and vocal and you can see where my comparison comes from.

The “Metal-ness” doesn’t really kick in until the start of the 19 minute second track ‘Worms’, with a good dose of distorted guitar, bass and drums, in a style reminiscent of something Devin Townsend would conjure up. That is until it all abruptly ceases and an electric piano starts noodling away before it all explodes back in with vocals. Already there is plenty for Prog fans to get their teeth into as a challenging 19 minutes unfolds to include acoustic passages as well as intense Prog Metal, covering everything from early Genesis to Opeth. Sometimes there’s jarring jazz, other times crunching Metal. There’s continuity…as long as there is something unnerving or unexpected about it! After 10 minutes in there is a fabulous acoustic passage, with a really stark, dry vocal sound that then segues into a gorgeous, guitar and flute section. It’s been quite a trying journey to get here but it all suddenly seems worth it. The tranquillity, the serenity, it’s all…turning slowly darker…it’s getting heavier, with inverted chords, opposing key selections, then the mood changes again. And back again…and crescendoing…

Well, that was ‘Worms’ anyway.

At just under 12 minutes, closing track ‘The Promise Of Night’ threatens to be a hardcore-style sprint in comparison! But no, in truth it’s more akin to Ulver or Samael’s quieter moments, before nuzzling in between Kate Bush and Tori Amos once more (now THERE’s an image for you!). And really, on the surface that’s “Street Lights Fail”. On the surface. This is an album that obviously has more levels than are immediately evident, but I suppose you have to like the basis of what is on offer first. The musicianship is first rate and Anna Murphy does a damn fine job on the vocals, so if you like a proggy challenge then Nucleus Torn are definitely worth checking out.

(7/10 Andy Barker)

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