ALBUM REVIEW: Opus Tierra – Nixa

Miami doesn’t strike you as the kind of place that you would find a band such as NIXA. The boys have been creating a brand of sonic doom and gloom that appears to be the perfect contrast to the beautiful, sunny section of the United States that they call home. The band have so far released one full length studio album named Trembling Path which saw the group coming out today the gates and showing their blueprint of modern stoner/doom metal to the world. Now, armed with the second full length effort Opus Tierra the band are out to prove that they have the goods to turn the metal world on its head.

Opus Tierra opens with its title track and sets the tone for the rest of the release perfectly. The atmospheric guitars from Raul Valentine and echoed effects combined with the soft, dreamy vocal lines of Valentin Mellestrom create a sense of grandeur on an almost cinematic scale. When the distortion kicks in the voice of the track shifts. The deep, rumbling bass lines and heavily distorted riffs create a rock-solid foundation for the vocals to tower over, accompanied by the wonderful tone created with the lead guitar work of Valentine.

Following track Seed provides further proof of the recurring theme throughout Opus Tierra. The reliance on the phenomenal vocal harmonies that are created with the intertwining voices of both Valentine and Mellestrom. The latter provides the deep, powerful voice that is somewhat similar to that of Troy Sanders from MASTODON, while Valentine provides the higher tones. This is not a groundbreaking gambit, but NIXA do it in such a way that it provides layers of melody that drive the grand scale of the music onward. Another highlight of this track comes towards the end and that is the disgustingly heavy bass tone that is used. When it is coupled in with the booming drum sound and distorted guitar it shows just how crushingly heavy the band can be.

Destroyer shows NIXA turning up the pace with the inclusion of some impressive drum work that resembles artillery fire. The vocals from Mellestrom shift from his booming, deep voice to a guttural yells which sound vaguely similar to the infamous Scott Kelly from NEUROSIS. The backing vocals from Valentine are prominent in the mix once again to ensure that none of the melody is lost whilst still harnessing the sonic power required to incite plenty of chaos when the band take it to the live stage. The problem with this song is that as soon as the listener gets in to this change in musical direction the band revert to the same style that has been a tad overused in the opening three tracks of the song. Opting for the mid tempo, crooning that has served the rest of the album so well up until this point.

Perhaps the greatest highlight of Opus Tierra is the track The Mound which shows the band slowing things way down and dropping the vocals by multiple octaves to create a sinister soundscape that sounds like a hybrid of bands such as TYPE O NEGATIVE and CROWBAR. The bridge of the song contains a ludicrously heavy, distorted bass line and melancholic lead guitars that add to the overall grandeur of the track. This all begs the question that if the band are capable of creating songs this compelling by tweaking their formula ever so slightly, why do they insist on staying in the same lane so relentlessly?

Opus Tierra is a solid sophomore release for NIXA – there are no poor tracks to be found on the entire album. On the contrary, there are a number of decent songs to be found here that are very enjoyable. The songwriting is solid and when the band decide to branch out and push the envelope creatively NIXA can be a truly devastating force. The issue, however, is that they do not do this nearly enough and as a result the album feels rather long and bloated. A decent effort from a good band. But perhaps the next release needs to show NIXA taking a few more creative risks and breaking the monotony a little.

Rating: 6/10

Opus Tierra is out now via War Anthem Records. 

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