We have a shiny new package in our hands, Noiseware’s new LP – ‘Clouds At Last’ out on January 18th of this year. After all this time? Well, Yes. Around 7 years if we are talking numbers. I guess a few words about the band, i.e., Noiseware, would be a good start to this haphazardly put-together manuscript that I am going to call a review.
Noiseware is a Pune-based metal band known for its skills in brewing up scores with influences ranging over a very wide spectrum of genres, which makes their songs enjoyable to a wider audience while at the same time managing to retain a unique essence of its own. They had made their presence known to all with their slick style and strong stage presence but the energy fizzled out to some extent over the years as their focus shifted to tours and side projects. Or are those main projects? Depends on whom you ask!
If you’ve seen them before, you would agree that the kind of deep passion it takes to create complex and beautiful music like this just shows – irrespective of the genre. The ingenuity of the lot is terrific. No one likes soiled wrappings on their Christmas presents, so I would try tackling the entire album as a whole in an abstract manner, with a few comments about some of the songs that I found distinct/interesting.
Noiseware has preserved its characteristic subtle blend of the element of chaos and the essence of serenity to bring a captivating album. Now some rehashed filler content has slipped in, which isn’t something unheard of in an album of this size. Which is over half an hour’s worth of content by the way. But that isn’t actually that big of a deal when we widen our perspective to the entirety of the album as a whole rather than trying to dissect the individual tracks with ill-intention motives.
One thing that truly impressed me was the vocals, no complaints regarding that. The lyrics make some of the tracks vessels for inner reflection. One can almost smell the band members’ own struggles smeared on the tracks, a fairly common trope, to be honest. Gautam’s drumming was on point and no complaints from the guitarists Adhiraj and Aniket either, the former of whom produced the whole album at the Refractor Studios, Pune.
Some tracks do take the metaphorical icing off the cake. Like Parallax – which features an enticing vocal solo with rich expressive lyrics with melodious and mesmerizing background music. Europa – featuring a hauntingly beautiful prelude and Iridescent with its breathtaking outro had me captivated till the very end with its eloquent riffs and beats. Vortex stands apart from the other tracks with a tenser electrifying tempo, harsh vocals, and even harder riffs. The album’s namesake track Clouds At Last was pretty good as well and one of the most memorable ones from the catalog if you ask me. Solar and Paraflight had some unique tricks up their sleeves but could have used some touch-ups.
Being a mere fickle-minded mortal, zeroing into a single favourite track is an arduous task for me. Initially, I was leaning towards Clouds At Last, which undoubtedly would be the go-to anthem song if I were tasked with embodying the very soul of what Noiseware represents. But Parallax takes the crown for me, as I really loved the soul-rending fusion of djent, dubstep, and EDM-esque vibes blended vigorously with complex vocals. Maybe subconsciously it was the lyrics that touched me more, as it resonated with the emotional state I was in at the moment I was writing the review. The spacey artwork was made by Aniket Patni.
The songs, while miles apart at times in theme and pacing are pretty consistent if we are to inspect closely and compare their core anatomy. This consistency in the arrangement of individual set pieces is a double-edged sword. The ‘average’ songs I mentioned just happen to crumble apart halfway through into monotony after taking off from superbly patched-up inaugurals and sandwiched by equally well-crafted epilogues. Some of these less memorable tracks will just end up in some dark alley of memory lane 2 weeks down the line, knee-deep in sawdust. But that just reflects upon the current state of the fast-paced music industry, and yes – not every song can (or more importantly – should) be catchy.
The interesting part is that the album is out on Bandcamp as an NYOP (name your own price) release. You fire up the link, soak in the general vibes of the songs, and if you feel it’s worth your time – you pay whatever amount you are comfortable with and download the album or individual songs. It provides a way for fans with a wide spectrum of wallet girths to support the band they love. And if you can not afford it, you can still enjoy the complete album for free and then come back later and buy it as a gesture of goodwill. More bands should tackle digital releases in this manner.
And to put an end to this inconclusive tirade I will simply state my personal opinions which are obviously tainted with a touch of bias.
Is this an album that will offer a once-in-a-lifetime introspective spiritual experience? – NO.
Is it a pretty fucking awesome album nevertheless? – YES.
The album has a couple of shortcomings, but who (or what in this context) doesn’t? A basket with a few good eggs and some average ones. A mixed bag, especially when you factor in the expectations that have been boiling up due to a long period of waiting. But at the end of the day, I would recommend this to all the fans of the genre, not just Noiseware fans in particular.
Official Facebook: www.facebook.com/noiseware
Official Website: www.noiseware.net
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