Next To None
Phases

It has been 2 years since the first work by Next To None, known mainly for drummer Max, son of Mike Portnoy, which many see as nepotism. However, I think that one can have a father who opens doors, but if you don't have what it takes, you can't walk through them, and the Lehigh Valley quartet certainly has what it takes.

Far from having defined their space in the metal universe, the first thing to note is that these guys, eighteen or so, have bravely and eagerly decided to produce this work independently. Any comparison with productions of other bands is entirely pointless; of course, with time they will learn to produce better, but in my opinion, the final result is definitely appreciable.

Objectively, nothing can be said against the technique and ambitions of Next To None; every track presents itself in the metallic parts with fast and tight rhythms and the guitar/bass dualism that blends excellently with the drums, recalling what has already been heard on “A light in the dark” but with heavier sounds that at times nod more to modern death and metalcore than to prog.

The sounds appear more refined and the dynamics improved compared to the debut, while the lyrics indicate the advancement of the process of growth primarily human, even with emotional and introspective texts.

The melodies are more polished, and there is more room for experimentation, especially with keyboards but also with bass and guitar that move to new shores compared to the past.

The result is certainly remarkable, and the compositional efforts and the search for mixtures of styles are noticeable in practically every track.

It is not an immediate album or one to be judged after the first listen; rather, the strengths should be sought in the nooks of each track.

Out of the 12 tracks, “Alone” stands out, with its variations from melodic metal to thrash enriched by an almost rock blues interlude that brings to mind something from the prog of the 70s, which, however, denotes that the path towards finding their musical identity is still long.

“Kek,” excellent in every part, the central bridge is stunning as is the subsequent attack full of pathos, and even if it renders much more live, I would recommend listening to this track to anyone, it will probably become a classic in the N2N repertoire.

Note the band's first suite “The Wanderer,” which if defined in English would be "less is more," in other words, the almost 20 minutes denote the ambition and courage of the 4 boys, but only at times do they make clear and distinct things heard, many parts instead seem more like experiments not perfectly connected to each other. For the number of stylistic variations, perhaps this song could have become an entire album, but it is still a demonstration of the pursuit of a studied work and the potential is undeniable.

Lastly, the voice.

Thomas always maintains the scream/clean alternation and honestly, I believe he does a good job in both, but unfortunately, the immaturity of the tone still too much like a kid (he is 19 years old, let's not forget!) is still noticeable, so I eagerly await his maturation.

What surprised me the most, however, are the harmonies between Thomas, Derrick (guitar), and Kris (bass), which I heard live and they render a lot.

In conclusion, I think it is an album that should be given a chance; it is not indispensable and brings no epochal novelties, but it is an honest and structured work where interesting cues can be found despite their style not being yet defined, okay there are many elements reminiscent of other bands, so what? Everyone is inspired by someone else, in my opinion, it is wrong to discard out of hand the listening of an album by such a young band for a prejudice of this kind.

This Phases defines itself, it is a phase of their evolution, and once the thoughts on the various influences are left behind, one can appreciate the product in front of them.