Violet Cold - Noir Kid

Key Facts

Country: 🇦🇿

Genre: Post-Plack Metal/Shoegaze/DBM/Post-Rock

Release Date: 1st March 2020

Record Label(s): Independent

Band Members

Emin Guliyev - Everything

Violet Cold -  Synergy

Review

Rating (out of 5🤘): 🤘🤘🤘🤘

Favourite Track(s): Synergy, Noir Kid, Battle Unicorn, Synced To Darkness, Euphoria

"Where to start with this album?" That is probably one of the most difficult questions I've faced when I review something that I have never heard the likes of before. Admittedly, with some disappointment, this is my first exposure to Violet Cold and I'm gutted I've slept on this one man mega project. Combining influences and songwriting techniques from a vast plethora of genres Noir Kid is not something you can easily digest in one sitting. A sweeping soundscape of an album that can transport you to places unknown and it rewrites the rules on atmospheric music in the post-metal and post-rock realms. I'm especially amazed at this album because it hails form Azerbaijan, a country which sits to the east of Turkey on the Caspian Sea, so there is influences from the Middle East and the Western spheres of music. With a multi-textural cacophony of melody and harmony of music, this is certainly an album that kept me entertained.

Musically, as I have already highlighted, there is a very clear mix of influences from the Middle East and the Western spheres of music. This is the first thing that grabbed my attention when listening to the album. Deep in between the layers of thrashing guitars and thunderous drums you can hear more traditional musical instruments augmenting the atmosphere and adding a rich textural element to the songs. These instruments can be heard throughout the album and because they use scales and have a timbre that I don't hear every day it instantly brings my ears to attention. With this in mind, it's been really refreshing to hear this fusion of unique folk into this chaotic album. Alongside that, it a heavily synthesised dance/trance accompaniment, yes it was eye opening at first, but the way Emin has incorporated it into his raw and destructive brand of black metal is nothing short of masterful and emotive. One thing that I like outside of metal is songs with chopped up vocal samples or vocals that have been used in a uniquely different way and Noir Kid has this in bucketfuls. My favourite vocal elements come on Euphoria and title track Noir Kid, the use of Arabic style vocals and scales really stands out in the music for me. I've always love eastern style singing as there is something mystical yet dark in the way the scales sound, with that in mind, with the traditional black metal elements involved it's definitely something I would love to hear more of. Considering the amount of electronics in this as well it creates this really strange yet intriguing sonic environment that you can't help but get lost in. If anything the more black metal elements to the album serve mostly as the rhythm to the songs as a lot of the melody and harmony is held in the synthesisers and vocals with the harsher vocals cutting through the layers to add a haunting edge to the songs. Overall, there is a lot musically to get your head around in this album, so many elements combining to make a chaotic sphere of beautiful madness. It's been refreshing for me to listen to and will more than likely revisit the album on a regular basis. 

The production of this album is something to be admired. It's not everyday you can blend techno, metal and folk elements together with such seeming ease and create an album that will draw the attention of the listener instantly. There is a madness to this album that I really like, a bit like a fever dream wall of noise. The drums are weighty and thick, laying the groundwork for everything else, the snare snaps through the mix but the cymbals are quite reserved. With that in mind, the cymbals don't overpower the synths, which the majority of them sit in the same frequency range. The guitar tones are equally mixed with a similar EQ leaning towards more rhythmic tones, not a blistering lead which is good as it allows space for the more traditional instruments to really show off in the mix. The electronic elements take up the majority of the mix, which is my only dislike about the album, on some tracks it's awesome, on others it feels a bit overcrowded. Relating to the songs within the whole context of the album, as stand alone tracks all of them are distinct in their own way. The vocals are my favourite parts of the album because they're saturated in reverb and sound hugely epic, this applies for both the clean and harsh vocals. Overall the album is mixed incredibly well but slightly dominated by synths. 

If you fancy something you've never heard before I thoroughly recommend listening to Noir Kid, Emin Guliyev's songwriting is mystical and emotive with a vast range of versatility. I will certainly be listening to the album a few times to explore every corner of every room in this chaotic house. 

Violet Cold - Noir Kid