Published: December 19, 2017

NCS published the interview with Norilsk’s main man Nicolas Miquelon about two years ago, when the duo (its second half being Nick Richer, drums, backing vocals) appeared with the first full-length The Idea Of North.

This band is located in Québec but was named after a Russian city placed in Northern Siberia and known for its heavy industry and hostile environment. Such a name suits the band well, for they tend toward heavy dist...

Published: December 12, 2017

Canada’s Norilsk were formed in 2012, naming themselves after Siberia’s northernmost city, which a quick Google search reveals to be one of the most polluted cities in the world. The band’s promotional material tells us that Norilsk is home to a famous heavy metal smelting complex, which may go some way to explain the choice of moniker. The band consists of two members, Nic Miquelon and Nick Richer and they play Doom/Death...

Published: December 10, 2017

Rooted in the death-doom sounds of old, the music of Norilsk is that of cold spirits and desolate nights. Though not a concept album per se, Le Passage des Glaciers none-the-less feels as if it is telling a story of mourning and loss through its unfolding soundscapes. This is a journey in to the depths of winter, where the snow soon covers any traces that you ever dared ventured in to these realms. As emotionally crushing as...

Published: December 4, 2017 

French Canadian Duo Norilsk have followed 2015’s “The Idea of North” with 8 slabs of doom death by the name of “Le Passage des Glaciers”  Norilsk is the most northern city in Siberia and allegedly home to a heavy metal smelting plant. That gives you an idea of the sound these guys set out to create.

Think early Paradise Lost or Anathema.  Guttural French vocals over crystal clear guitars and heavy as merde bass riffs.  Into �...

Published: November 26, 2017

December is nearly upon us, and how the year has flown by. Looking back, one is bound to notice what a fantastic year 2017 has been for doom metal and its offshoot sub-genres. From the psychedelia of Elder over Bell Witch’s haunting masterpiece Mirror Reaper to the crushing heaviness of Spectral Voice, this year has indeed seen many truly outstanding doom albums; and now, we can add Le Passage des Glaciers by Norilsk to the list.

Le Pass...

Published: November 24, 2017

French-Canadian purveyors of grief and suffering, Norilsk, return with their latest offering Le passage des glaciers. The album finds the band continuing its cacophonous doom and death metal while introducing elements of black metal and folk music.

 

The album is a dirge from the start; opening with "Midnight Sun," Norilsk sets the stage for a classic wintery doom record. Unlike doom bands who rely on feedback to get their message across, N...