Speaking from no experience, Novembre carry an immediately identifiable weight of respect within metal’s musical enclave.
First, much of their music is sung in their native Italian. Respect. Next, they are able to blend the occasional hook into five, six-minute songs that aren’t also afraid to show off their stylish, textured musical chops. Double respect. Third, I really like their cover. That’s it, I’m taking a one-way trip to their next concert.
The band’s latest, Materia, is their first album in four years and shows a three-piece that does not come off as sounding like musical wankers, yet are clearly in tune (in tune! Hah!) with their instruments. Songs can begin in one direction, skate off into another, but, like the bookend to a complete story, return for closure. Double bass or overuse of infectious hooks ad nauseum are not employed as cheap tricks, only applied when appropriate, giving them more weight. In a word, tracks feel complete.
Going back to that whole Italian singing thing, one apparent fault is vocalist/guitarist Carmelo Orlando’s thick accent, which more often than not results in English “mush mouth.” And again speaking from no experience, I do not know if Novembre once growled a lot, but I am glad they don’t now, as Orlando’s somewhat monosyllabic, but still enjoyable voice is far more fitting for the material than the brief, thin growl he tosses out here.
Fans of Opeth, Katatonia, My Dying Bride, etc. should definitely check this band out, if they have not already. The four years were worth the wait.
