NAUGRIM - DESOLATION: SINGLE REVIEW
- Kirsty Shepherd
- May 10
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 10
Naugrim are back with their new single, desolation. “Hailing from melodic death mountain - australia” the five piece returns with a devastating piece of music surrounding "The surreal, numbing oblivion where the world changed and moved on, and you’re
left behind. we want to capture how grief isn't linear; it's complicated, angry, and sometimes strangely beautiful. this song is for anyone who's stared at the ceiling at 3am, wondering how to keep breathing."
naugrim is a melodic death metal band that formed in 2021 in the foggy blue mountains in nsw, Australia. with only 115 monthly listeners on Spotify they are a local up and coming band to watch. desolation follows the bands 2023 ep release, 'adversity'.
desolation begins with a powerfully anguished scream from vocalist Greg. from there you are off, thrown from side to side as you unravel into despair. the song takes you on a roller coaster at the frequent, yet intentional and smooth tempo shifts.
as the story progressed I found myself wishing that Greg was not as clear with his vocals, as I was struck with the verse, "I long for connection or any sign you're here, Eternally our hearts are bleeding, I need you here to pull
me back from the edge again." to say this hurt my heart is the understatement of the year.
Let's break down the musicality of the song a little further. naugrim's drummer mal, I am almost certain could beat Usain bolt in a race with how fast his feet are. he leaves himself very little room to breathe throughout the song with the dizzying drum beat.
next we have guitarist Matt and Luke alongside bassist Tom. while the song at some points seems to almost be taken over by the chaos, the guitars are always perfectly in harmony with one another, supporting each other in a delicate balance. the scaling riffs, whammy use and groove style elements were an interesting combination, which kept the song from falling flat at any point.
last but definitely not least, we have vocalist greg. he has excellent use of phrasing and vocal control. his harsh tones have a clear and well practiced sound that, as previously stated, make him easy to understand. he sits comfortably mostly in a middle register while singing, and slides effortlessly up and down where necessary.
If you like guitar solos, fast feet drumming, a rhythm you can windmill to and being thrown into emotional turmoil, this is one for you.
for fans of: at the gates, in flames, as I lay dying and parkway drive.
8/10
