Nulled – The Traitor (Art Gates Records)
Wednesday, 14th February 2024
Always on the lookout for new talent, Nulled is a contemporary quintet from Spain that since 2018 has been building their modern sound steadily. Releasing their previous opus Strokes of Reason in 2022, the follow-up The Traitor contains ten tracks of current leaning influences across the metal / deathcore landscape – where the total sum of diverse influences sets the stage for dynamic twists across melodic to crushing territories.
The combination of djent / staccato guitar lines next to clean / screaming vocals while penetrating double kick drums or synth aspects filter in and out can often occur in one track – keeping your brain on edge without sensing the transitions push the landscape of credibility. The alternative clean melodies next to some sick metalcore / death screams from Alex allow the musical components to churn in wild directions – conjuring everything from Slipknot to Orbit Culture, Carnifex to Whitechapel, as well as some melodic death metal nuances through the tasty guitar riffs of Oscar and Ashton. The use of synths in a dream-like state for “Pt. 1 – Love” sets the stage for a heavier rebuff during “Pt. 2 – Rage”, where the convergence of caustic screams, growls, swirling guitars, and progressive drumming makes for an exciting six and a half-minute aural ride. Because these musicians possess a diverse influence tree to pull from, the pace of the record fluctuates between those melodic hooks as well as heads down aggressive intensity, where both seem necessary while not diluting the layers of information to process. The bouncy groove throughout “Toxic Bond” against the melodic death metal textures of the title track present two of many ways Nulled achieve memorable consistency across the board through their swirling genre blends.
As an older scribe, this contemporary modern deathcore meets metal output isn’t normally something that gets deep dive exposure – but it’s the way the contrasts build emotional context that gives Nulled plenty of crossover potential through The Traitor. Maybe the right festival appearances or opening tour slots could push this band to even greater heights of popularity as they’ve got the right compositions plus playing abilities to go places.
