Nexø

False Flag

Written by: PP on 31/03/2022 11:57:38

"False Flag" is the sophomore album by vehement Copenhagen hardcore punkers Nexø, which should propel the band to new heights thanks to its incredibly raw and piercing take on the genre. It sounds less like the cheesegrater hardcore purveyed by many of their peers, instead of bringing forth an expression that's rammed with urgency and razor-sharp political messages centered around anti-capitalist messaging.

Spanning just twenty-six minutes across twelve songs, Nexø songs are racy flicks of fiery hardcore, delivered with an ardent punk rock energy that's impossible to deny. Most of the material is breakneck speed with coarse vocals, but songs like "Anger" take utmost care to vary the expression nicely. Here, the band slows down a notch, utilizing a slow buildup that progressively gets louder and louder, nicely fitting in with the lyrics of "Anger is creeping inside me / it's in my blood" in what is arguably the highlight moment of the album.

Stylistically, Nexø draws equally from d-beat hardcore and metallic hardcore. There's a typically Scandinavian murkiness and cold feeling to the guitar distortion, drawing comparisons to everyone from Anti Ritual, Parasight, Night Fever to Nyt Liv and even bands like The Psyke Project if you listen closely. It's a sense of desperation and hopelessness that here translates through aggressive shredding and pissed-off vocals.

Compared to earlier work on "New Normal", the production has drastically improved to display a tighter sound. But perhaps more notably, there's a sense of blackening to the overall soundscape that deviates from the rebellious punk of their debut. The artwork for the album depicts the newly found gray brutality in a nice fashion.

That said, Nexø ensures at no point is the album merely a noise for noise's sake type of an affair. Instead, songs like "Out Of Sight", "Headline Stress Disorder" and "Adjustment Day" ensure there's just enough pissed-off melody to suggest "False Flag" will be a key Danish hardcore release this year.

Download: Anger, Out Of Sight, Adjustment Day, Headline Stress Disorder
For the fans of: Anti-Ritual, Nyt Liv, Thought Police Brutality, Night Fever, Parasight
Listen: Facebook

Release date 15.04.2022
Kink Records / TNS Records / 5FeetUnder Records

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