EMBR Premiere “Nomega” Video; Self-Titled LP Due Dec. 8
Birmingham, Alabama-based melodic doom metallers EMBR are working toward the release of their self-titled sophomore full-length Dec. 8 on Black Doomba Records. Preorders start Nov. 10. “Nomega” arrives as the second single of three from EMBR ahead of the album, coming behind “Black,” which was posted in July. From both tracks together, one might extrapolate a few things about the record to come.
EMBR issued their debut, 1823 (review here) — one of a series of outings with numerical titles, which is a methodology that would seem to have been left behind at least for the moment — in Summer 2020 through New Heavy Sounds, and the returning four-piece of vocalist Crystal Bigelow, guitarist Mark Buchanan, bassist Alan Light (since replaced by Justin Regelin, who’s in the video) and drummer Eric Bigelow have not grown any less expansive. With a strong foundation in metal, they come across in “Nomega” as more confident in themselves and their sound. One will hear consistency between “Nomega” and “Black” — as would be expected from two songs on the same album, though nothing is absolute — and the recording by Matt Washburn (Mastodon, Atheist, Elder, etc.) assures that tonal heft is not lost to atmospheric breadth.
Layered whispers and screams back Crystal‘s crooning verse and chorus lines as the video plays through a They Live theme that would make it worth sticking around to the end of the clip even if the song didn’t. Not slow, but not hurried, “Nomega” has push behind its movement — Light‘s full-of-punch bassline reminding in the song’s turns of Faith No More‘s “Last Cup of Sorrow” — and balances that with giving the vocal melody room to feature as it does. As with “Black,” the abiding feel of “Nomega” is dark — a nice contrast to see them playing in a white room — and accounts for the grunge background the band willfully embraced on their 2023 covers EP, Idolatry, but is unmistakably metal in its construction.
So what do we learn? To be on the lookout for the album, primarily. Maybe also that as severe as EMBR‘s sound gets, they remain grounded in their approach and conscious of dynamic in their material. We knew that, probably, but a little reinforcement is always welcome. As you listen, keep ideas about craft in mind. Think about building the arrangements. The tone of guitar and bass, the position of the drums in the mix, where the background whispers are, all that kind of stuff. EMBR seem to be inviting their listenership to bask in the details. Doing so is bound to make one look forward all the more to when EMBR lands.
Video premieres below, followed by more info from the band, the lyrics, and so on. Please enjoy:
EMBR, “Nomega” video premiere
“Nomega” from the album ‘EMBR’ (2023) Black Doomba Records
Order here: https://embr2.bandcamp.com/album/nomega
More info/all band links: https://linktr.ee/blackdoomba
More info/EMBR: https://www.embrrockband.com/
EMBR formed in 2015. Their mission statement is to find the happy medium between both sonic worlds, to walk with one foot in somber density and the other in a place of blissful, uplifting tranquility. They have released 5 EP’s and 1 full length album.
Statement about the single, “Nomega” from Erik Bigelow (drummer) ” Nomega is essentially about the dark spirits behind the curtain. The frauds, scam-artists and cheats draping their two-faces in propaganda and deception. It’s about the pillagers, thieves, and highwaymen that steal our dreams from under us. It’s also a call to action to hold these rotting corpses accountable and pull them from the “branches”. “
Lyrics:
“Nomega” (Crystal Bigelow, Erik Bigelow, Mark Buchanan)
Slipping with their forked tongues
They slide in and out
Shifting and shaping they change
Cutting and scraping the remains
Melting and merging they slip
They drift deep into the night
Dripping with their deeds soaked and wet
Devils be dragged into the night
Try to hide
Stay out of sight
Devils be dragged
So they can feel their bite
Reach through the branches
Drag ’em out
Pulled out into the open now
Wrapped in all that was stolen
Video: Erik Bigelow
Cover art: Erik Bigelow
Recorded at Ledbelly Sound Studio
by Matt Washburn
Recording Musicians:
Crystal Bigelow – Vocals
Mark Buchanan – Guitar
Justin Regelin – Bass
Eric Bigelow – Drums
EMBR, “Black” (2023)
Black Doomba Records on Bandcamp
Black Doomba Records on Facebook
Tags: Alabama, Birmingham, Black Doomba Records, EMBR, EMBR Self-titled, self-titled
Get it grrrrrl!!