Northern Genocide - The Point of No Return

Angry Metal Guy 70

Just like a sommelier can (allegedly) sense and describe the minutest differences between wines that may seem identical to the less learned, so can the seasoned metalhead identify regional differences and genre influences that laypersons may question with the tried and true adage: “It’s all just noise, isn’t it?” Melodic death metal has many offshoots and flavors, but the Finnish variety tends to be instantly recognizable anyway, often thanks to a melodic core that draws from neoclassical- and power metal. Northern Genocide wears this hat with pride but then proceeds to layer a bunch of other hats on top until defenestrated by the owner of the hatshop. This has led to two things in the past: I reviewed the previous album Genesis vol. 666 as an industrial metal album, and I was downright impressed by how well the band pulled off a whole stack of hats. Can this feat be repeated?

Absolutely! The Point of No Return skews a little more melodic death metal than its predecessor, but still draws from the industrial pit with gusto, and dots the landscape with symphonic-inspired stubs to boot. To sketch with band names, it most resembles an amalgamation of Noumena, early Kalmah and Turmion Kätilöt with a theatrical streak and an IV full of caffeine. Though never going into hyperspeed, it’s got a ton of energy and drive, and the songwriting is incredibly lean. I’d barely be able to scrape a minute of fat off the 41 minutes of music. Northern Genocide seems to be deathly allergic to boredom, and ensures there is always something going on and grabbing your attention. Instead of beauty and the beast vocals, we have beauty, the beast, the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe all jumping in, with a solid growl and a raw blackened snarl the two main characters. Rapid riffs and sweeping licks bounce back and forth, with slick synths either embellishing or outstripping both.

The Point of No Return by Northern Genocide

This may sound like pandemonium, and if you’re not a little inclined to such a hyperactive approach it may get overwhelming at times, but this chaos is calculated. The rhythm section is kept more straightforward, and there is always one leading melody to ride, even when this baton is passed between different vocals and instruments every other bar. And the band refuses to let that variety do all of the heavy lifting: even brief bridges are incredibly infectious, laden with addictive hooks and interesting interplay. With this many tools at its disposal, Northern Genocide makes every track different and rewarding, from the bite-sized epic “Harbingers of Genocide” and the swift assault of “Icaros” to the anthemic “Para Bellum” and Egyptian melodies rendered in synths of “The Engram.”

The only track I don’t love is “My Fortress.” On the one hand, with the relatively dense layering and energetic pacing of the other tracks, a mid-paced centerpiece makes for a nice breather. But it doesn’t engage the way the rest of the album does, particularly the plodding chorus, and instead kills the momentum quite abruptly. The female vocals remind pleasantly of Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering et al) but aren’t quite at that spellbinding level, and they can’t compensate for the lackluster riffs. In addition, though the production is good, it’s a step down from Genesis. It is not as warm and rich as before, though the mixing is as solid as can be with this much going on, and the master is not so loud as to make a spin needlessly tiring.

What The Point of No Return boils down to is that intangible, unquantifiable term: FUN. It is a wicked, wild, joyous ride, full of excess and abandon, where everything goes all-in but the musicianship and songwriting are so good it all gets wrangled into a form that’s easy to digest but leaves a lot of details to appreciate on return spins. It’s difficult to suppress a grin when the beat drops or a particularly characteristic vocal flourish comes along, so I recommend: forget the suppression and let that smile split your face. Northern Genocide are getting damn close to list-worthy greatness here, and I can’t wait for more of their infectious exuberance.¹

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Inverse Records
Websites: northerngenocide.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/northerngenocide
Releases Worldwide: March 1st, 2024

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