NIONDE PLÅGAN

Band: NIONDE PLÅGAN
Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Screamo / Doom / Ambient / Crust
Related artists: Trachimbrod and I Love Your Lifestyle.
Country: SWEDEN
Years Active: 2012-present
Song: "Oändligt"
Album: "Frustration"
Year: 2015
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Through Love Records / Friendly Otter / Upwind Productions / HoboRec
This post's artist is from the April 2015 Mix. This is track #2.
You can download: the May Mix#5 right here or get the new June 2015 Mix#6 here.
For fans of: Amber, Fall Of Efrafa, AmenRa, Buried Inside, Rosetta, Monuments Collapse, Tephra, (old) Hopesfall, Light Bearer, Knut, Back When, Breag Naofa, Avvika, ∞ (aka Eight), Cold Craving, Envy, Aporia, Old Soul, Nous Étions, Storm{o}, Jungbluth, Locktender, Downfall Of Gaia and Totem Skin.

Let's first start from my beginning with this band. It started because I know Lukas from Trachimbrod and I Love Your Lifestyle messaged me about helping with his band's future release for NIONDE PLÅGAN. As I'm friends with him I perhaps I was more inclined to initially say yes to helping after hearing "Vida Horisonter". A few months went by and Zegema Beach Records sales were almost non-existent. I had basically decided that I couldn't help out with NIONDE PLÅGAN. A few days before letting the band know that I would be unable to help due to financial constraints they sent me their mastered versions of the entire 10-song album. I was very close to sending the band a message before even listening to it that I would have to remove myself from the project, but then I jammed the LP. Holy lord of science, it fucking blew me away. I have to be involved with this thing. It's absolutely stunning. Imagine old Hopesfall crossed with newer post-hardcore/post-metal such as Amber and Light Bearer. NIONDE PLÅGAN boasts a primary vocalist but they do excel at the perfectly placed usage of dual screams. I should backtrack and start from the band's humble beginnings.

In 2012 NIONDE PLÅGAN first released the online LP 'Nionde Plågan'. The recording is quite raw and the band initially comes off sounding almost like a crusty, black metal band. There's something to be said here, as the debut is better than its successor ('Därnere Hos Dig') even with all of the tracks coming in really short, at generally a minute-something. The songs are very engaging and the vocals are mixed perfectly. Tracks like "Jesus Jugend", "Självförakt" and "Storebror" offer some serious weight, especially the intro to the first, the Storm{o}/Jungbluth feel of the second and the destructive vocals of the third.

The following year the band dropped their first physical release titled 'Därnere Hos Dig' on cd and cassette. This showed further development as well as schizophrenic episodes as the band teeters dangerously between songs that are too short and others that seem to drag around the six-minute mark. The songs aren't bad in any sense of the word, it's just that after hearing 'Frustration' it becomes quite apparent that NIONDE PLÅGAN were still growing and maturing. Epic tracks such as "Vår", "En Värld Utan Ljus" and "Till Föruttnelsen" showcase the dense, droning and prodigious inclinations of the band. "Till Föruttnelsen" is my favourite song from this record and it borders on some Tool instrumentals before dropping down to the heavier Buried Inside and Light Bearer last half. I could do without the lengthy bass/ambient intro but I can't argue that it helps set the mood. Another track with a lot of bite is one of the medium-range songs titled "Lämnad Kvar" and I've embedded it below.

Today's post includes the premiere of the song "Oändligt". "Vida Horisonter" was released online by the band about six months ago and there will be a new song"Vän, I Förödelsens Stund" released via Zegema Beach Records' Zampler #5 on July 1st which will be available here. Seriously everyone, I wouldn't be surprised if this is a sleeper for one of the best albums of 2015. It's really that good.

Taking the basic foundations laid by the previous two records, NIONDE PLÅGAN have crafted the ultimate heavy, grooving, dense and atmospheric album. Let's take a look at the tracks one by one:

1) Keeping consistent the band opted to put one of the shortest songs to open the record and I've got to say "Letargi" is an amazing start. It bleeds the spacey post-hardcore breakdowns of old Hopesfall with waves of euphoric, textured and dense chords topped with swelling dual vocals (one low and one high).

2) "Oändligt" is the song I pushed for as a "single" because it's fucking epic as shit. This is the premiere. Holy moly. The introduction of all the instruments crashing together with the strained screams at 18 seconds is extremely powerful. The absolutely prodigious parts begin at 37 seconds and again at 1:14 with the latter bearing additional vocals that eventually transition at 1:50 to a much slower outro that lasts the remaining four minutes and isn't too far from Mogwai and Old Soul which is a fucking killer combo that will have you bobbing along by the end, guaran-fucking-teed.

3) "Vän, I Förödelsens Stund" will be featured on Zampler #5 which is being released online and cdr July 1st, 2015 on Zegema Beach Records. The high and low screaming intertwine right off the bat and mix beautifully with the Light Bearer and Monuments Collapse-esque instrumentals. This is easily one of the highlights on the album and worth coming back for in a month. I would love to hear this band with some classical strings, oooooo baby!

4) The longest track on the record goes to "Orkeslös" which rises and falls for over 9 minutes but occasionally loses me in the background somewhere. That being said this is still a solid track that brings newer Envy to mind. The spacey guitars scream 'Insomniac Doze' but the vocals lean much more heavily on the deep and evil sounds of Locktender and Lamb Of God. It's brooding, dark, cathartic and rejuvenating all in the same instant. I particularly enjoy the grooving mid-section to the song.

5) "[mellanspel]" is an instrumental noise/drone/ambient track that isn't really up my alley. I know a lot of people love this kinda thing, like my boys in Yusuke and Black Love. There are minimal instruments layered very slowly over some spoken word, most likely from a movie. Cool stuff and a decent interlude but nothing more in my opinion.

6) "När Småfåglar Dör" is another fantastic song that isn't too far from track three in its delivery. The vocal patterns spewed forth for the duration of the 40-second intro are phenomenal. The instrumentals are angelic like nature, offering both glimmering beauty and violent disruption simultaneously. The outro kicks in at 2:40 and again harkens back to a style showcased earlier on track 2, which is slow but powerful with the occasional shift to a slightly tweaked melody within the foundation to give welcome variety. So good, so good.

7) "Vida Horisonter" was released almost six months ago by the band and was the track sent to me initially. In a way it was a good thing that I was sent this song first because it is by no means the best but it helps accentuate what the band is going for. If they led off with the best track we could be let down by the rest. I'm being way too hard on this track. It's actually really good but doesn't compare to tracks 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9 which are damn near perfect. Dave, what about the fucking song? Oh yeah, I can't believe it took me seven tracks to mention the really amazing drums which pound and writhe and provide the real backbone to the massive instrumental section. There's also a lot of higher screaming in this song which is a welcome change.

8) Sliding in another decent but not mindblowing track, "Samhörighet" clocks in at just over five minutes and is a fluid transition from track seven. The band's patented multi-layered guitar attack shines through, but then again it does on every song, I guess. This song in particular is powerful in a slower, more melodic and less intense/crazy kind of way. Another random side note is the Halo Of Flies Records vibe that the band gives off. If you like any of the prettier, heavy stuff on that label you will be all the fuck over this.

9) "Revolt" reminds me a lot of track two and six insofar as it projects mountainous, frozen and vast stretches of post-hardcore and post-metal. The song doesn't really get going until 1:16 but once it does those slight shifts in the instrumental makeup have it exploding at 1:52 as wave after wave of progression are lathered up to build a massive, teetering conglomeration of heaviness with subtle melodies buried amidst all the headbanging. If time was not a factor this would have been the song on the fifth Zampler.

10) Closing this Swedish masterpiece is "Leva Eller Dö" is yet another six minute banger. This one has mad chops and shows the mastery of the soft riff, as the twinkly and subtle guitars are entrancing just before and after the two-minute mark. From 3:30 onward the song winds down to a fitting, seemingly infinitely strummed spacey outro.

Woah. This is a long post. There's a reason, though. NIONDE PLÅGAN are ridiculous and you'd be silly not to give a song or two a chance because they fucking slay. I can't wait to help unleash 'Frustration' upon the world. Get ready for angelic/post-apocalyptic perfection late 2015.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2012 - Nionde Plågan digitalLP (stream/donate/download here)

2013 - Därnere Hos Dig cassette/cdLP (stream/donate/download here)

2015 - Frustration 12"LP [buy here]

2017 - The World That Summer split 10"EP [buy here]

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(2015) NIONDE PLÅGAN - "Oändligt" (from 'Frustration')

(2015) NIONDE PLÅGAN - "Vida Horisonter" (from 'Frustration')

(2013) NIONDE PLÅGAN - "Till Föruttnelsen" (from 'Därnere Hos Dig')

(2013) NIONDE PLÅGAN - "Lämnad Kvar" (from 'Därnere Hos Dig')

(2013) NIONDE PLÅGAN - live set

(2012) NIONDE PLÅGAN - "Jesus Jugend" (from 'Nionde Plågan')

(2012) NIONDE PLÅGAN - "Storebror" (from 'Nionde Plågan')

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NIONDE PLÅGAN additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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