Belarusian band Nemdis put out a new single after four years of silence. They released their debut album 'Against the Current' in 2010, then some singles in 2019, and now they return with a new song. I have no information about them, so I am not going guessing about their whereabouts.

Anyway, they unapologetically play modern metal. There's lots of Swedish influences heard, like Soilwork (like the previous single, 'The Unconscious') and In Flames, but also lots of Trivium and such from the other side of the pond. I am not really digging new trends, but I have to admit that Nemdis have nailed it here, like they previously managed to do in 2019 with several singles.

So, I guess as expected from the influences, this is superb catchy but not very aggressive. The song include instrumental parts with urban vibe among the not-so-unique riffing via the bands mentioned, like the fine non-distorted intro. When it gets rolling, it offers odd-math tempos (without losing the catchiness and grip) with pounding double kick drumming and heavy-handed palm-muted riffing. It's seasoned with electronic bleeps. The vocals are all clean here, but are powerful anyway, kind of reminding of Scar Symmetry in their melodiousness. It does not fuck around, nor does it stumble.

Stellar musicianships abound. What the band loses in originality, they overcome with compositional shine; this is one lean, if not very mean, song. These guys have the advantage over the ghosts of their bellwethers. Very much worth checking out if any band named here does strike your soul!

Rating: 8- (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
05/30/2023 19:43