Ni - 2023 - Fol Naïs [mini-review]

(48:02; Dur et Doux)

French band Ni are out with the album "Fol Naïs", and progressive metal is the style explored on this production. It is a mainly instrumental variety of the form we get here, where the vocal details present comes across as a part of the instrumentation rather than as a regular singing addition to the landscapes explored, and that this is a part of a more off kilter approach to the style probably comes with the territory. We get plenty of tight and energetic excursions making use of noise effects, atonal elements and unusual patterns here, but also compositions that ebb and flow between tighter and harder arrangements and passages that have a blend of harder and more delicate details, typically with the guitar taking on the role as a provider of more fragile elements and the rhythm section retaining the tight and hard hitting role. With occasional side steps into more purebred fragile landscapes to boot. All along with a little bit of an off kilter and avant element being present in some form or another. The album concludes on a slower and more majestic and powerful high, and arguably also on a bit more of a conventional note. But otherwise this is a production to seek out by those fond of a more tight and energetic venture into the more avant-oriented varieties of mainly instrumental progressive metal.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, December 2023

Links:
http://ni-music.com/
https://duretdoux.com/