Published: July 15, 2015

The thing about Sludge, Doom and even Grunge, is that because the general pitch of the music is so deep and the tempo so slow, it can sometimes be hard to find the rhythm of the songs. Not only that, but the vocalists often struggle to settle on a style that matches the music. The benefit of one man running the show, as is the case with NORILSK, is that Nicolas Miquelon can establish his own creative vision and pursue it without having to cater to the wishes of other band members. For some this may be a recipe for disaster, but here all the ingredients pull in the same direction to produce a record that clearly belongs in a certain corner of the music industry, but at the same time demonstrates a level of imagination that could quite easily convert non-believers (such as myself).

The title track “The Idea of North” is a great example of this point, as while it generally sticks to the slow, grinding tempo we’re used to in Sludge, it is also brave enough to up the ante during one or two sections and allow the guitars to rip open the genre with an unexpected display of speed.

Another respectable part of the record is how keen Miquelon is to just allow the music to speak for itself. There are no excessive displays of growling or annoyingly overzealous death-roars here; if no vocals are needed, then no vocals are present. That said, this isn’t to say that the lyrical sections are unwelcome. In fact, the delivery is at times well above average and does a good job of sounding suitably atmospheric.

All in all, this is an unusually well-rounded Doom Metal album, which has been well-produced and composed so that the end result is its best creative and varied. I could personally listen to this album a few times in a row without growing tired of it, and that alone is indication enough that it is something special as I’m not normally a fan of the genre. One possible weakness is its relatively short length of just over 40 minutes, but in my mind, it is far better to leave us wanting more than to force feed us until we choke. Congratulations, NORILSK.