Nature Morte isn’t done yet.
Still signed to Frozen Records, the band made of Chris Richard (bass/vocals), Stevan Vasiljevic (guitar), and Vincent Bemer (drums) will release their fourth album, Still Life, in 2026.
We begin with a sense of dread in DRAMA…, a fairly calm yet still relatively mysterious introduction that carries our minds to …NOT HORROR and its visceral explosion, which nevertheless retains some hazy tones. Screams and ethereal notes complement each other perfectly, constantly responding to one another and creating a fascinating contrast where the rhythm section progresses as it pleases, whether through the blast beat or that much slower, stripped-down passage before the return of the flame that leads us to DISGUST. This track also begins very calmly, cloaking itself in abrasive saturation while developing an intoxicating touch in the background, drawing on its hazy shoegaze roots while remaining anchored in its ambient darkness that corrupts every note, as the bass sounds almost reassuring before welcoming Amaya López-Carromero (Maud the Moth) on BLUE, the next track. The guest vocalist takes center stage in the opening moments of this track, bringing an incomparable softness, but when Chris’ growls return, you can feel the band plunging back into its darkness, giving the vocalist a new role to explore in turn; however, the track quickly gives way to LIBERTY (T.G.I.F.), where we find that underlying violence in which the band has complete confidence. We also find a few touches of oppressive heaviness, as well as those majestic interludes that temper the intensity, allowing us to catch our breath before YRAMESOR comes along to hypnotize us in turn, skillfully shifting rhythms and even offering almost joyful tones before fading out naturally. We move on to 66F, a much shorter track but also initially far more experimental, which ultimately reconnects with virulent Black Metal roots, only for those to fade away in turn so that CVLT can bring the album to a close, once again distilling that seemingly contradictory yet complementary blend that lulls and assaults us to our hearts’ content while letting its harmonics fly freely and finally paving the way for silence.
While staying true to their previous work, Nature Morte offers us an even softer touch on Still Life, intensely highlighting the striking contrast that defines their sound. The band has definitely found its path.
90/100