#communic

Communic opened Waves of Visual Decay with the 8-plus minute “Under a Luminous Sky”, doubling down on the progressive power metal of their debut and standing out among fellow Norwegian acts simply by virtue of not wearing corpsepaint.  And despite the epic length, the track felt more focused and confident, as Oddleif Stensland sounded a little less indebted to Nevermore in both his riffing and vocals.  It also helped that even though “Under a Luminous Sky” was very much a progressive power metal number, it didn’t sound overly showy, burdened or mannered, instead playing like a fun headbanger that just happened to have progressive touches and a long runtime.  And while it wasn’t enough to break Communic big, the track was an enjoyable number that worked as a gateway track to their 6-album discography.

The Bottom Deep didn’t deviate significantly from Communic’s previous albums, but their brand of Nevermore-style progressive power metal has never either been in vogue nor felt dated, so in that respect, the band didn’t need to make any major changes in order to stay somewhat relevant.  “Flood River Blood” had all the bark and aggression of prime Nevermore, if not the particular charisma that brought Warrel Dane and company major underground acclaim, and roared with crunch and vigor.  Oddleif Stensland bellowed with just the right amount of histrionics, adding further drama to the proceedings, and his riffing offered a good blend of technicality and melody.  Communic never broke into the big leagues, but the Norwegian act delivered quality power metal that fit in with the scene while standing on its own feet.

Look at them all and compare, you will get the same feeling, reader. I would love to see more these "Creepy Pseudo-pretentious," album covers.

Conception de l’identité graphique des mutilé.e.s pour l’exemple du mouvement gilets jaunes, à titre solidaire