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Nerv - Vergentis In Senium

Combining sounds from post-metal, post-hardcore, and metalcore in the vein of Converge, we have Nerv's "Vergentis In Senium." Calling France home, this band is as aggressive as they are unpredictable.

The seven songs on this record cover a pretty wide range of sounds. From the slower, more depressing chordal based passages like in the opener "Cathars" to the chaotic saxophone in "Savonarole," there's much to be digested by the listener. At points, this record is very enjoyable. Nerv keeps you on your toes for a good amount of the record and you're not sure when they're going to change time signatures, or what type of chaos they'll launch into next. But another part of this record overstays its welcome and kind of does the same thing that you've heard from ten other bands that do this style. The vocals get a little old to me after a while, as there's not too much dynamic range with them. Since the rest of the band is incredibly dynamic as I mentioned, it would've been nice to hear some more variation in the vocals.

That said, there is more than enough to keep any fan of this type of sound interested. If I could recommend a song to check out it'd be "Catherine Deshayes." It stood out as the most memorable track for me, and even has a part somewhat reminiscent of a chorus. There's also some really interesting guitar work, with a jazzy chord progression in there that impressed me as a listener. I was also not expecting the last track, "Suffer," to be as mellow as it was. There's a very eerie atmosphere to it thanks to some somber acoustic guitar and keyboards. Luckily there was some variation in the vocals on this one, which I enjoyed. Instrumentally, it reminded me of something Swans would do.

Overall, I'd recommend this record to anyone who's a fan of the Converge/Dillinger Escape Plan type metalcore, with some experimentation in there for good measure.