ALBUM REVIEW: Symbiosis – Nordic Giants
Whether we realise it or not, we are all drawn to music that makes us feel something. Whether overtly or subconsciously we are all looking for a connection, and although we might have a different interpretation of what that looks and feels like, in the end we are all the same. We engage with artists because they improve us – perhaps they make us feel something we’ve never felt before; happiness, sadness, something relatable. This is what makes music so magical, it’s something that can translate from notes scribbled on a page to being a completely transcendent experience that can take us to new places, worlds, and ideals through the medium of instruments and voice.
NORDIC GIANTS have always embodied this – both with their previous albums and with their live shows where they take things a step further by including intense and artistic imagery as part of their stage backdrop. Those of us with an inclination for cinema tend to appreciate music in a slightly different way, as a crucial accompaniment to visuals and a way of enhancing a cinematic experience. NORDIC GIANTS have long since taken this approach, and their upcoming album Symbiosis is no different, but of course on record we lose that visual aid. So, when we are plugged into headphones on the train, the onus falls on us to create those images for ourselves in our own minds, and NORDIC GIANTS give us the tools to do that by way of lush melody. Be it through beating synths or idyllic piano, our minds are allowed to wander down their own path.
Perhaps this means we all take a unique experience from the music and see something different, but the fact is we are taken on a journey through our own minds, facilitated by this wonderful band’s ability to craft soundscapes. Bands creating conceptual soundtracks is nothing new and if anything, it is becoming more common within the post-rock realm, but with this album NORDIC GIANTS have once again proved that they are masters of their craft. It has been five years since their previous release, and Symbiosis shows that they have lost none of their prowess. Eight tracks span 47 minutes, showcasing a beautiful blend of neo-classical post-rock that erupts with memorable hooks just as regularly as it swims through soaring ambient passageways littered with an innate balance of strings and synths.
We see the return of guest vocals from Alex Hedley and Freyja which add further depth to tracks Faceless and Spheres respectively and allow the band a more literal chance to voice the album’s themes (which largely centre around the “interdependent relationship of all life”). The use of diverse instruments such as the Carynx horn and Tibetan bowls combine to create an innate and finely sculpted record. It’s as unique as it is explorative and quite probably their best work to date.
We’re sure that once they take to the stage on their upcoming tour – majestically adorned with their famed tribal headdresses – their music will take on even more meaning once the experience is heightened by the usual theatrics, but for now we can revel in an album that feels as fresh as anything the band has released to date. NORDIC GIANTS are back, they mean business and we are about to have our minds blown all over again.
Rating: 9/10
Symbiosis is set for release on February 4th via self-release.
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