Nullingroots

This is the most calming black metal release I’ve ever heard. As oxymoronic as that sounds on paper, this turns out to be a refreshing interpretation of post-black metal. Nullingroots isn’t about attacking Christianity or knocking you to the floor with its intensity. This Arizona-based one-man project is instrumental and the sort of thing that would be great to meditate to. With its sublime melodies, smooth flow, and airy, understated approach to a genre that’s normally either more aggressive or depressive, Nullingroots immerses you with its textured sounds and elevates you to a zen state.

What immediately sets this album apart is the guitar tone. The production is surprisingly clean for a debut black metal release, emphasizing the lighter sound of the lead guitar. Its tone isn’t too far from the kind melodeath guitarists tend to favor. Though not particularly heavy or distorted, the guitar is still utilized in a black metal style for a good deal of the album. There’s plenty of tremolo picking here, though the lighter tone and the way it’s used to craft soaring melodies lends much of the album a breathtakingly majestic flavor.

Another favorite black metal technique, the blast beat, also sees quite a bit of use, though it’s implemented more thoughtfully here than almost anywhere else. Even when Cameron wails away on his drum with all the speed and force he can muster, the blast beats are never simply about sheer aggression. Instead, they provide a canvas for his serene lead guitar. When the music in the foreground is at its most tranquil, the blast beats provide a nice contrast without muddling the song or ruining the calming effect.

Nullingroots’ music is relatively spacey, even for blackgaze. The way the various instrumental parts come together here is a far cry from the monolithic walls of sound you typically hear in traditional black metal. The lead guitar isn’t especially dense and sometimes its rhythms are calm and simple. The rhythm section is sometimes intense, sometimes fairly sparse, but always unobtrusive. This combination gives the listener plenty of room to breathe, which makes it easier to understand how all the elements work with each other and easier to get lost in the music.

If there’s anything bad to say about the album, it’s that most of the songs aren’t that distinct from each other. But even this isn’t much of a weakness. The tracks are all built on similar melodies, thoughtful musical interplay, and seamless transitions. Though it’s easy to get swept up in these songs, you won’t be humming the rhythms for days after you hear them. In a way, even this works out for the album because providing songs that are individually memorable isn’t the point. This album is all about its chill atmosphere, which tends to be both optimistic and melancholy, and as far as that goes, it’s a brilliant success.