LES INSURGÉS DE ROMILLY

ni are a loud, brutal and mostly instrumental band that is new to me. Glad I found them. A quartet that includes two guitars, bass, and drums. When I need to listen to something that is intense, modern, and blows my socks off I'll reach for ni. My lame attempt to describe them would be a cross between Primus and heavy heavy heavy rock and roll. Odd time signatures, tricky syncopated beats, and dissonant chaos. You need thick skin to appreciate the madness of ni.

Highlights include "Marpaud"... love the unison guitars playing against the heavy backbone of the locked and loaded beat. The beginning of "Butor" sounds like it could be a song by Black Label Society, but not for long. The relentless pounding bass line, the psychedelic sounding guitar and the screams takes it up a notch. The song crescendo's to a climax and then a narrator speaking French? ends the song. Got to give them credit for being unique and original. The final track "Torfesor", has a repetitive tribal beat through the first half of the song and then, out of nowhere, ni slams into a killer riff that you weren't expecting. Great closer. "Torfesor" takes up 39:40 of space on the CD. The music only last for 5:41. Silence, maybe needed, until 39:35 when a voice appears and talks for five more seconds. No, I didn't sit through the silence. I had to fast forward the player to see it anything was there, and yep it was. Anyway, that is the bonus you get for the buying the CD.

The superb artwork that comes with the disc fits the music like a glove. A bit twisted but imaginative. Also, if you order a physical copy from their bandcamp page they will send some special stickers with your purchase.