NOTTI DEL TERRORE – Havoc

NOTTI DEL TERRORE is a Belgian Industrial Metal band, formed in 2007, after the Groove Metal band TUD RUSSEL was put to rest. Founding members KVN (vocals) and Wim (bass) wanted to play faster and more brutal music, but it had to be done elsewhere. Hence NOTTI DEL TERRORE. The line-up was soon completed with Guy Van Campenhout (ex-ANGELI DI PIETRA), save for a drummer, but the band used a drumcomputer to solve that matter.

“The Game Room” was the first release, a demo, followed by the 3-track EP “3-TR-DIY”. Anno 2011 is the year of their debut album, “MX D35TRXION”. The year after, a real drummer was found in the person of Fré (ex-AXAMENTA, PERSEPHONE’S BLADE). And so, with renewed energy, the second album was recorded. “Havoc” was released in May 2013.

“Havoc” contains eight tracks, totalling a playtime of little more than 30 minutes. So it’s over before you know it. Or is it? It begins with the übercatchy “Recharge”. Of course, you get an intro of samples, creating a kind of tension. And then the Metal sets in, with a rhythm guitar that from the beginning infects your mind so much , it’s hard to get it out again. It’s not a difficult piece, but it is catchy. Screams are added and the music turns into a pounding monster, à la FEAR FACTORY, somehow. The focus lies on guitars and drums, while electronic sounds seem not that important. A marching piece later on breaks the stream a little, and that’s good, if only in terms of variety. All in all, a decent song to start off with. However, it’s clear that the sound is quite compressed. And that’s not always a good thing.

“Unstoppable Killing Machine” kicks off in a Thrashy way, with a skank beat and screamy vocals. But there is also clean singing (chorus) and backings, and this helps to make that aspect a bit more melodic. Like the first track, this one as well is of the catchy sort. “Hellbringer” brings keyboards to the front, sounding dark and doomy. The direct assault is not that far off: heavy tunes and screams. Again, yes. Lots of screaming so far, I must say. What’s with all the anger? Not that this song is full of positive lyrics, but still… Clean vocals create a bit of contrast in the chorus. The song itself is not bad, but I found it not as strong as the previous ones.

Electronic sounds and beats introduce “Fixless”, after which it’s again Thrash time, or sort of. The tempo is high and the clean vocals have an American touch. No worries, the aggressive side is present as well, mainly in the chorus. And rhythmically there’s a bit more going on than in the other songs. So, that’s good. “Summoning Tchernobog” is next, starting with a film sample (which one?), a dialogue piece. This leads to the straight-forward chorus, contrasting with the pounding verses where KVN is again putting his throat to the test. The amount of clean singing is, however, low. Positive surprise: there’s a lead/solo part later on. For the largest part, the focus was always put on guitars and drums.

Time for another FEAR FACTORY-ish track: “My Name”. The main part contrasts with the atmospheric chorus, where clean vocals rule, yet screams operate from the back. It is kind of sad that the production couldn’t be a bit fatter, or let the instruments breathe more. It would make it easier to like the song. Melodic guitar work is also applied in the last half, although it comes with a Poppy Dance beat. This links directly with “Perversatile”, which provides a midtempo assault with that beat in the back. Mixing pieces and styles is ok. The result is then always different. I’m, personally, not that fond of such creations. But how NDT solve it, is still within limits. For the solo moment – yes, there’s a solo moment, albeit rhythmic – the band shifted into a higher gear.

Last but not least, “Downside Of War”. Another movie sample and again I have no idea which movie it is from. The song itself has a Hardcore-ish breakdown leading into straight-forward Metal with screams. Yes, the omnipresent screams. But the vocal input is balanced by clean interventions. All ends as the war does break out and a guitar remains as witness.

NOTTI DEL TERRORE puts Belgium on the map in terms of Industrial Metal. I’m afraid my knowledge in that field is rather limited (although I’ve reviewed some releases in the past), especially regarding Belgian bands. Surely there must be more out there, besides NDT and SKEPTICAL MINDS? “Havoc” is the first I hear from NOTTI DEL TERRORE. It’s an album that’s full of heavy guitars and pounding drums, topped with aggressive  vocals. Luckily there are clean parts as well, else it would indeed be a bit (too) monotonous. However, and depending on your taste, the album doesn’t last that long. Not because it’s only half an hour long, but 1) there’s a lack of melody (meaning more melodic input would be nice), and 2) the compressed sound influences the listening experience. Other than that, the album is perfect if you’re in need of an energy boost, or feel like venting your emotions in a non-violent way.

Tracklist:

1. Recharge
2. Unstoppable Killing Machine
3. Hellbringer
4. Foxless
5. Summoning Tchernobog
6. My Name
7. Perversatile
8. Downside Of War

Line-up:
KVN – vocals, guitar, programming
Guy – guitar, vocals
Wim – bass
Fré – drums