Naraka breaks its silence.
After a debut album and several tours, Théodore Rondeau (vocals), Jean-Philippe Porteux (guitar, ex-Chabtan), Pierre-André Krauzer (bass, Vestige), and Franky Costanza (drums, Blazing War Machine, Black Rain, ex-Dagoba) sign with Art Gates Records for the release of their second album, Born in Darkness.
The album begins with Apocalypsis Diem, a fairly melodious introduction on which the first beats quickly appear, followed by roars that are still a little subdued, then the chaos subsides to make way for Born in Darkness, the eponymous track where groovy rhythms meet a few harmonics. The appearance of the vocals gives the track a slight boost, making it more accessible on the choruses, but also offering a more aggressive break, while Industrial-infused tones can be found on Something Woke Up, the following track. The samples reinforce the fairly simple but catchy rhythm, adopting haunting harmonics and a more jerky approach towards the end, which finally gives way to Blazing Sun, which takes off at full speed and anchors itself in a more modern Metalcore-oriented touch. The sound remains effective, transforming into a truly solemn anthem on the chorus before charging forward again, adopting majestic tones with Hellhound and its keyboards coupled with choirs, which immediately darkens the atmosphere. The irregular riffing also contributes to the prevailing atmosphere of anxiety, but the track is fairly short and quickly gives way to Tyrants, whose introductory alarm bells would not have allowed me to guess the Thrash/Death influences, but which easily adapts to the band’s style. The choruses’ clean vocals are also surprising at first, and it is this track that ultimately stands out before handing over to Sorcerer, where we find the keyboards and the jerky, martial touch that will be most effective live under what I imagine to be epileptic lights. The percussion on Deus Belli darkens the tone again, but we realize that the track plays more of an orchestral interlude role than a true composition before Lost reconnects with the guitars and finally the vocals, mostly clean at first, contrasting with the saturation of the instrumental. A few screams still make their way through, as do the final whispers, and then with The Reign In Red, the band invites Sotiris Anunnaki V (Septicflesh, ex-Chaostar) to add some grandiose touches, the Greek musician lending his unique voice to a heavy track, making it even more theatrical than it already is. The final moments are terrifying, but Parasite returns to a more raw sound, nuanced by fairly varied vocals that become aggressive again on the chorus. The end of the album approaches with The Last Day on Earth and its post-apocalyptic tones, which are both heavy and a little melancholic at times, and the mix is quite captivating, leaving the band with a slower final, allowing them to segue into an acoustic version of Lost, which retains its colors while softening, ending the album with an unexpected touch.
After a debut release that opened many doors for them, Naraka had no intention of slowing down, and they offer with Born in Darkness a new approach, not denying their roots, but focusing more and more on live performance. Some tracks are well worth checking out.
65/100
