Nucleus Torn
Nihil

The journey continues for absolutely original and incomparable bands in the ranks of Prophecy Records. The 2006 debut of the Swiss band Nucleus Torn, with its philosophical title "Nihil," is yet another major achievement for the famous label.

Behind this unknown moniker lies a complex that began a few years ago as a solo project dedicated to folk sounds. The embryonic idea then expanded to the birth of a formation composed of a full seven members: Anouk Hiedi (flute), Fredy Schnyder (guitar, bass, and keyboard), Rebecca Hagmann (cello), Christoph Steiner (drums), Christine Schüpbach-Käser (violin), Patrick Schaad and Maria D'Alessandro (vocals), broadening its musical horizons, venturing into the territories of classical music and the most extreme metal. The results achieved in a relatively short time (the album was initially released as a self-production, and following the sell-out, Prophecy decided to reissue it under its own wing) are appreciable, and despite the risk of overextending and not pursuing a clearly defined path being tangible, any possibility of boredom has been smoothed out by the not overly long duration of the platter (37 minutes in total), as well as the undeniable ability to astonish that is imbued in the varied art of these skilled musicians.

The opener "Glass spirit" is the most unusual thing I've come across in recent times; no darkness, but only sweet winter melodies (I would say Christmas-like) recreated by acoustic instrumentation and Maria's voice, perhaps a bit too superficial in interpretation to risk stirring emotions. In short, beautiful arrangements and atmospheres, but perhaps the singer's work is too mannered. The task of warming the soul and limbs is delegated to colleague Patrick, a minstrel with a capital M, truly at ease on the carpets of acoustic guitar, flute, and percussion that introduce "Traveller's rest," which after just two minutes undergoes a sudden metamorphosis to amaze the unsuspecting listener with an aggressive metallic refrain, only to return at the end of the track. The remaining minutes that compose it, however, hover between acoustic digressions, folk melodies, and prog rock. Beautiful string backdrops, but the real highlight is the already mentioned Patrick's voice. The pace is handed over to "Night's grace," a piano break of clear classical inspiration, slow yet dark in rhythm. A well-played piece but overall disconnected from the rest of the tracklist: indeed, paving the way for the subsequent "Summer bled" we find acidic, psychedelic, and doom-flavored guitars, unsettling in their overlay with the strings and the painful litanies emanated by the singer's voice. The cello and flute that break the tension halfway through the track transport to a nocturnal and foggy dimension, but just when least expected, we are again hit by a burst of electric sounds and caught inside a musical vortex as unusual as it is irresistible, whose finale is entrusted to the long reverb created by the screeching guitar. A disorienting sensation smoothed by a sweet acoustic guitar arpeggio, a peculiar combination that surely won't be appreciated by all.

"Close" sees the return of the female singer to the microphone; Maria sings for just over a minute and without any accompaniment, a chant that speaks of sadness, of despair, and eternal abandonment, something akin to certain melodies of early The 3rd And The Mortal. Classical music is the undisputed master of "The sunclad," sweet and soothing in its ethereal cradle of strings, flute, and piano accompanied by Maria's lullaby (still a bit too lacking in emotions for my taste), and the concluding "Peregrina sublime" is a real kick in the face. Tight rhythms of clear extreme lineage alternate uninterruptedly with acoustic digressions, a bit of a summary of what has been heard in the other tracks. It may not be a masterpiece, but the intent to combine all the elements of its sound scattered here and there into one song is at least appreciable.

"Nihil" is without a doubt a beautiful album, well-played, excellently produced, and atypical compared to the standards of folk metal, but the only flaw it presents is too pedantic not to be considered. Indeed, one cannot yet speak of a Nucleus Torn style: each episode is almost completely disconnected from the others, and the album resembles a compilation that encompasses the most disparate musical genres within itself, whose only point of continuity is the presence of the same musicians behind each track. Regarding the band's stylistic future, we leave the arduous judgment to posterity; concerning what was heard on this particular album, I can calmly state that the quality is more than evident (the score you see is the average of each individual track's scores) and deserves at least one listen, which cannot help but surprise even the most cultured listener and the least unwary one.