Metal Underground.com

Getting 2012 off to a very promising start, Maldivian newcomer Nothnegal is breaking onto the scene with an album that manages to be incredibly varied without losing focus. Spinning multiple webs and even twisting old sounds into new strands, “Decadence” just may be the new face of melodic death metal and provides a much needed change of pace in a genre that hasn’t seen much innovation from the bigger names lately.

Nothnegal’s debut full-length album has several different modes, changing slightly in style as the disc progresses. The early songs like “Salvation” and “Claymore” start off on the heavier end to build death metal cred and bring out the harsh and distorted growls. As each song passes, the album gradually moves towards a more atmospheric direction, using a smooth clean singing on tracks like “Sins of our Creations” and “Singularity” that’s refreshingly different and fits well with both the melodic and the heavy aspects of the music. It’s almost a shame the album is broken up into sections, as the clean singing really knocks it out of the park and would be a welcome addition to any of the songs.

Keyboards play a significant role in each track, but they don’t take over the entire sound or define the music. Alternating between eerie, industrial, and even electronic, the synth work is incredibly varied and goes its own direction instead of simply reinforcing the guitar riffs. Interestingly the production isn’t super loud and is a bit more on the subtle side; listeners will definitely get more out of this album carefully listening through on headphones than blasting in the car.

All eight tracks offer a unique take on a familiar sound, working within the framework of melodic death metal but without ending up a Dark Tranquillity knock off. The music overall isn’t quite as melancholy as the likes of Swallow the Sun, but neither quite as forceful or fast paced as Arch Enemy, striking a balance between the extremes of the style. It’s restrained, but with a hint of the epic always right underneath the surface.

“Decadence” shows a burgeoning young talent paying homage to the genre that birthed it while not being afraid to branch out in different directions. Melodic death metal fans should consider it one to look out for, and hope the band’s recent signing with Season of Mist means Nothnegal will be making waves in the scene for a good long time to come.