Black Nova

Dagoba has fallen upon difficult times recently regarding their usually-stable lineup. They must be one of the few bands whose identity was largely associated with their drummer, that of course being Franky Costanza. His tribal-esque patterns and fine ear for locking into a big 'ol groove amid a spattering of simple, yet effective double bass will always be missed. Journeyman Nicolas Bastos takes his place, but also missing is Yves Terzibachian, who seemed to finally be coming into his own on Tales of the Black Dawn. His more death metal-inspired style was giving the band a fresh identity and felt like a shot in the arm regarding aggression alone. While the new lineup does settle in fairly well on Black Nova, Dagoba seem to be regressing slightly.

And I do want to emphasize slightly, because this should be seen as a sister record to Post Mortem Nihil Est as opposed to some negative paradigm shift. It is likely no mistake that both records share a strikingly similar visual aesthetic, but the fact that Dagoba manage to make full-length records listenable within such a typically-meagre riffing framework has to earn them a few brownie points. I don't want to say that these Frenchmen are coasting on style over substance, but while Jean-Lau Ducroiset's style hails back to original axeman Izakar, there isn't a whole lot of variety going on within Black Nova regarding riff construction. I was hoping for another anthem-esque cut like "The Great Wonder," but while the record certainly delivers the band's hallmarks as we have come to know them, there aren't many sections that truly make my ears perk up. That doesn't mean there isn't a fair bit to enjoy here, mind.

For one, the production is again spot on. Ducroiset's murky tremolos form a dizzying cohesive whole with the direct, punchy assault of the percussion. Even disregarding the vocals, the band delivers a heavy piece of real estate that isn't embarrassing to listen to. I almost wonder sometimes if Dagoba hasn't maintained relevance simply because they are that band that everybody sees live and generally enjoys on a surface level, and isn't afraid to admit such. This isn't groove bullshit as we have colloquially come to see it, it is a potent cross-section of groove, death and scant industrial, resulting in an atmospheric, desperation-evoking wall of sound.

Standouts include "Lost Gravity," which has an easy-to-grasp gait to its main riff, and "Inner Sun" slings some monster groove progressions, although the sampling feels like a bit much at times. The symphonic bits are better integrated here than on Face the Colossus, which was sonically a mess and felt too overblown for its own good. Mercifully, Dagoba have realized that forsaking the almighty riff is never a wise proposition, and while I can appreciate the electronic swaddling, it rarely becomes an overt distraction, generally opening tracks, setting atmosphere and quickly taking a back seat to the guitars.

Black Nova is a bit samey at times, and I can't help but feel slightly let down due to my personal appreciation for Tales of the Black Dawn. Regardless, given the lineup changes one can't completely disregard Dagoba for sticking to what they know best. Maille and Werther are the longest-tenured members at this point with nearly forty years between them, and if Dagoba were to disband tomorrow, I'd say they've had a good run.

French industrial and groove metal quartet Dagoba went through quite a few changes since their last studio effort as the band parted ways with its guitarist and drummer. However, these changes didn't have any obvious impacts on the sound. Black Nova will please those who have liked the band in the past but won't convince those who have despised them. The record serves just as well as an introduction to the band as almost any release.

The only thing that stands out is that Black Nova includes a few more clean vocals than usual. In the worst case, they sound slightly saccharine, reminding me of bands such as Thirty Seconds to Mars in ''Lost Gravity''. However, Dagoba also expanded its more aggressive side in certain tracks. In the worst case, this leads to a result such as the aptly titled ''The Grand Emptiness'' which is a fast and sinister track with one-dimensional growls that make you want to bang your head against the wall.

Dagoba actually works best when it combines its heavier and softer sides and adds its typical and slightly dubstep-influenced samples to the mixture. This works particularly well for the coherent single ''Inner Sun'', the balanced ''Stone Ocean'' and the atmospheric epic ''Phoenix et Corvus''. Dagoba further cements its very unique sound on these tracks. The band seems much more at ease in its comfort zone than in the tracks where the band tests its own limits.

I have no clue why so many bands these days add vapid instrumental or demo versions of their songs to their releases. I can't think of any great album that does that. It only waters down the record and focuses on quantity over quality. This is also the case here. If the band wanted to offer an interesting gimmick for its true fans for a few extra bucks, it should come around with actual new songs, live tracks or even cover tunes in the worst case but nobody is interested in vapid demo material.

In the end, Black Nova isn't among Dagoba's greatest outputs but it represents what the band stands for. It offers groove and industrial metal with aggressive and catchy elements garnished with modern samples. If this mixture sounds interesting to you, go and pick this release up. If you are completely new to the band, I would rather suggest listening to the live record Hellfest MMXIV that covers great tunes from several outputs. If you have less money on your hand, try to find a copy of the great French Metallian magazine that included the limited Inner Sun single to get an idea whether this band is right down your alley or not.

The French industrial groovers Dagoba belong to the group of bands that appeared in my playlist after seeing them live. These guys delivered a very energetic live show and I was prompted to check out their albums. Something about their no-bullshit kind of attitude just clicked with me and their best studio releases are no different. Their super-heavy and super-solid “Tales Of The Black Dawn” from 2015 surely ranks among their best. However, they have undergone a personal shake-up, replacing the drummer and guitarist to release “Black Nova”.

Something old, something new. It’s still Dagoba, so expect roaring vocals, a fair bit of sampling and electronica, as well meaty, chunky riffs that will wash away the bad taste the word “groove” has garnered. Also, the double-bass artillery can still bring some destruction, despite being a bit more restrained and less about the raw energy that Franky, Dagoba’s former drummer, delivered in heaps. It is clear that the bound is confident in the style they play and don’t want to make any big departures.

However, some things are a tad different this time around. In terms of guitars, the slight death metal influence, present on the previous record, is toned down (though still there), now swinging for a more Fear Factory style of riffage and guitar-drum interplay. “Black Nova” has dropped a bit of aggression of its predecessor - this is audible in the production job, which is a bit clearer and more balanced. In turn, you will find more industrial bits and melodic elements. And that applies to the vocals as well.

The voice of the band, Shawter, has always been a good growler. On “Black Nova”, he uses cleans a LOT more than he did two years ago, and the biggest surprise is that… they sound good. Even in clean refrains like the ones in “The Infinite Chase” or “Phoenix Et Corvus” (tasty guitar solo, by the way), Shawter can easily deliver a very good hook. The harsh to clean ration seems to be around 3:1 on the album, and for every other catchy moment, Dagoba tend to use samples or symphonics. This formula is reflected in the song order, as well, as they start off with the melodic single “Inner Sun”, step on the gas with “Legacy Of Ares”, then back to melody, then heavy again and so on. Sure, this makes the album a tad predictable, but since the band saves a couple of highlights for later (such as “Fire Dies”, featuring a couple of nifty death metal-tinged riffs and clever symphonic samples), this is a minor complaint.

It seems that Dagoba never set out to conquer the world. They found their style, have hit a good stride and are very comfortable with where they are musically. And kudos to them for shaking off line-up issues and coming up with an album like “Black Nova”. It’s a very listenable record that does a few things differently than its predecessor, yet is almost as good. More groovy, more industrial, less brutal, but still Dagoba.