No Terror In the Bang – Heal
Release Date: 12th January 2024
Label: Klonosphere Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Progressive Metal, Cinematic Metal, Hardcore.
FFO: Jinjer, Earthside, TesseracT, Haken.
Review By: Andy Spoon
Referring to a phrase stated by Alfred Hitchcock, No Terror In the Bang, is a reference to the tension in the build-up to a “bang”, or a significant event. Specifically, there is no fear when the event happens. Rather, the terror comes from the anticipation of the “bang”, which can be entirely-worse for some. The French band states that their music is “cinematic” metal, something that caught my attention, as I fell in love with Let the Truth Speak, the colossal album by Earthside, in 2023. I was happy to see that there are other projects that are looking for the same finish line, which is to wow the listener with overwhelming dynamics and musical expression/drama. Heal is set to be released on January 12th, 2024 on Klonosphere Records.
Retch was a crazy-fun song with extremely-high tempo and energy. It may be one of the best tracks on the album. I thought that the background instruments and samples were a superb addition to the proggy-dynamic sound that came forward in the mix. I was able to get really nice and amped up during some of the faster moments of the song. However, there were several tempo and mood changes in the track, it really seems to embrace some of the “prog” elements, making one song into several songs, or several movements within one song.
The vocals were a nice mix between gritty and clean. There is a good amount of clean singing dynamic that happens, but the harsh vocals are exciting and gritty, constantly making me smile as I’m listening to them. I think that Sofia Bortoluzzi’s vocal delivery and tone is fabulous for a heavier prog project like No Terror In the Bang. It gives the band a unique identity that allows the listener to add additional weight to the value of the project, especially in a genre that tends to prefer clean, operatic male vocals (at least in my experience). I feel like Sofia’s vocals would lend themself to a thrash or hardcore project as well, something I hope she explores more, should she branch out.
Musically, one of the things that I experienced was some of the musical phrases, which give some absolutely-gorgeous dynamic value to the tracks. For instance, some of the tracks feature little chimes “tinkling” down from high notes to low notes, playing out-of-tune with the rest of the track. It tends to create a tension that easily feels like something from a terrifying scene in a monster horror flick, or maybe a broken music-box, even. I found that on some of the tracks, there are chops and stutters (edited, obviously) that lend themselves to some of the electronic breakdowns from years back. However, said cuts and chops seem to me well-placed, and end up giving a fun additional character to each track, rather than merely copying a dated technique. I commend them for reviving that musical tool (check out Monster).
I was justifiably enthralled with the entirety of Heal. I think that it’s the type of album that isn’t “proggy” for the sake of being “proggy”. Heal has its own unique sound and vocal identity, instrumental tone, and artistic voice that is performed rather clearly through the whole record, making it a solid contender for your time if you want some gritty, fierce female-fronted hardcore-prog. I think that bands who profess to use the term “cinematic metal” will welcome No Terror In the Bang into the fold, as it’s clear that this genre deserves to grow.
(4 / 5)
