Sunday 5 July 2015

Old Soul/NIC - Split 12"


Tracklist:-

1. Old Soul - Lens
2. Old Soul - Emerald
3. NIC - V
4. NIC VI

I first got into Old Soul via their Tidal Lock LP that I picked up through Dog Knights Productions. Since then they've released two splits. One with Lentic Waters and this split 12" with NIC (or as some may know them - Wedon'thaveaname). It was released in a collaborative effort by six labels in 2014 and as always, I'll give them all mentions at the bottom of the review. Around the time of this split's release, Old Soul travelled from the US to Europe to tour with NIC and kicked it all off in their home country of the Czech Republic.

Old Soul presents jangly and jarring noise as Lens begins, before forsaking it for intense and violent screamo. This song takes me back to when I first heard Tidal Lock. Lens is brief in comparison to the their other song on here, but having that urgency in it makes it a great way to start things off. Emerald builds slowly, with plenty of ambience and gentle guitar. Having listened to Lens, you’re expecting things to break at any second, but Old Soul keep themselves controlled and build suspense. The driving wall of guitar that comes in just after the two-minute mark swirls with melody, while the percussion and those caustic screams add layers that tie it all together. Totem Skin wrote a great epic song at the end of their debut LP and I’ve been yearning for something like ever since. Old Soul have achieved a similar feat with Emerald, by making it both embracing and dramatic. I’ve not checked NIC out before, but I like bands with a bit of mystery and aura about them. V, which opens their side of this split is equally as epic and Old Soul’s Emerald. Their instrumental post-hardcore intro extends into some raging screamo, where the vocals sit deep in the mix and sometimes sound more akin to black metal. For the majority of the song, NIC allows eerie noise to wash over the listener only breaking rank near the ten-minute mark to lighten the atmosphere. Things become strangely hypnotic as they edge closer to the song’s end with repeated riffs and sequences. The screams sound like whispers and everything just seems to flow. A few screamo bands have gone the way of black metal with recent releases, like on the last We Came Out Like Tigers LP. NIC’s second song VI takes their own black metal influence a bit further, with so blistering double-bass and  metallic guitar. They intersperse it with more subtle instrumental passages, that break the atmosphere up and settle your heart rate down. Across this split, both Old Soul and NIC provide lessons in delivering emotional, passionate music. They both compliment each other really well and this split is well worth picking up if you can get it.

You can stream the whole split below:-


You can purchase from the participating labels below:-

Maniyax Records - http://maniyax.com

The other labels that were involved in this release were IFB Records (whom I think have sold out of copies) and Dingleberry Records & Distribution (who you can contact via the Facebook link below).

Zegema Beach Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords
Dingleberry Records & Distribution Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dingleberry-records-and-distribution
Maniyax Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ManiyaxRecords
Pike Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pikercrds
Mosh Potatoes Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/2PC4U?
Suspended Soul Tapes & Records Facebook -

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