Icy black metal suitable for a winter’s day (or night) is what Nòtt brings to the table. The solo work of James Benson (he of Amiensus, Adora Vivos, and Fail to Decay), it also goes without say it’s not going to be quite as straight-forward in that in its actual execution. Thus, while Nòtt focuses on cold and snowy black metal, it’s not without some melody or atmosphere.
Coming in with a 5-track, 25-minute release, Nòtt lays out enough for the listener to be excited about the project and build a solid base to work from. There’s plenty of blasting darkness, with swirling melodies intertwined into the final product. It can be explosive and caustic in its execution, but thankfully Benson grasps that there is more to black metal than simply having the drums blast away atop tremolo picked riffs. Ominous melodies find their way into the mix, as well as some more driving mid-tempo riffing to switch things up. “Worthless” sees some more emphasis given to the macabre atmosphere, with some unsettling darkness coming forth as one potential future avenue that could yield added dividends to Nòtt’s sound. “Sol” echoes this sentiment, as eerie melodies provide a suitable force to counter a more frenetic feel behind “Nothing.”
A promising start for Nòtt here in 2018. Though it does traffic in the usual black metal confines, there’s no doubt that it’s thoroughly well done with plenty of passion behind it. Any fan of Benson’s work in his other acts, or black metal fans in general, are going to enjoy this from start to finish.