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Ningizzia - Dolorous Novella review



Reviewer:
8.5

8 users:
8.25
Band: Ningizzia
Album: Dolorous Novella
Release date: June 2003


01. Spirit Of The Abandoned
02. Point Of No Return
03. Ode To The Realm Of The Ancient Wisdoms
04. Emptiness
05. Everything Dies

Ningizzia is the combination of two very talented Doom Metal lovers from France and Sweden, Stéphane Peudupin and Niclas Frohagen. Because of their friendship and their love for Doom Metal, the two guys decided to create Ningizzia and to record some albums. After a very good first demo in 1998 "The Dark Path", Dolorous novella was recorded in Paris and Gothenburg during 1998-2001. Signed by the label Haceldama Productions, this band with its album is for sure a must for all the fans of great Doom Metal.

Only five songs on this album but 42 mins of great and beautiful depressive music. "Dolorous Novella", you must understand it evidently when you read the title of the album, is an ode to the sadness, something which can only dig up the dark and depressive sides of your spirit. There are a lot of young bands, not a lot of them try to play Doom Metal, and not a lot of them are able to produce something with such talent? That's really amazing to see that a band is able to do this kind of album at the first try, it only show us in fact that these two guys are two promising musicians.
The five songs are all really well written, very complex, but not boring at all, and the very catchy and deep melodies on each songs are impressive. Like a Katatonia or a My Dying Bride for example, the two guys of the band knew how to do something which will enter in your head and stay here again and again. That's not really easy and common in fact to have the talent to do this kind of production. The music of the band even if it's a newcomer is more than mature, that's a really good start for them without any doubt.
The great parts of the music are the insistent and very nostalgic arpeggios, but also the really tranquil acoustic parts that you could find on each songs. All that, with in addition some very nice female backing-vocals and some folk instruments like flutes and violins sound really good. In fact, I prefer them to most aggressive parts of the music but however in comparison, the slow parts of the music are the most present and representative parts of the album. In two words, the beautiful acoustic music of the album will give you a feeling of sadness and depression, but damn that's really beautiful.
The only problem with this album is the bad production. I don't talk about the booklet of the simple but nice artworks, but about the sound and the recording. The drums for example are not well mixed and have a very amateurish sound, that's a shame because this album deserves a perfect sound. But as I said, this is the only problem of the album and I'm sure that the band will have some better means of production for their upcoming album which must be recorded in Sweden.

"Dolorous Novella" is a must for all the mourned souls which like me, love Doom Metal. This first release of the band only gives me the feeling that we will hear a lot of this band in the future. This is sad but beautiful, something poetic which will, I'm sure of it, touch you?
A great album of melancholic Doom Metal?

Written by Jeff | 25.01.2005




Comments

Comments: 3   Visited by: 33 users
03.07.2006 - 08:34
tulkas
el parcero
I have to agree, despite the bad production quality, this album is as good and as depressive as it gets. The slow, deep atmosphere throughout the songs is amazing, and really gets to you and touches you. Great music, amazing lyrics, incredible album, let´s hope this means a very promising future of more great music
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love is like a jar of shit with a strawberry on top
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15.04.2008 - 12:26
THE_BLACK_GOD
Account deleted
good review but i have to say that this album disappointed me the production is very bad the drum sounds so bad and the vocal isnt emotional as FOS's songs.so i think 8.5 is a little more for this album
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11.04.2016 - 18:43
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Its funny to see how pre I net days was international band, how they worked and was able mix, arrange music, because I net was well one hoem recording whit dial up download would take a week. Its unbelievable from todays point of view, but I disagree, I think album is specially drums well done, I doubt todays digital sound would be better
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
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I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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