The ambience intrigued me, and through magazines and concerts I discovered new territory in the late 90s. I really switched to metal when I first heard Dimmu Borgir. I’ve been obsessive about music since the late 60s and early 70s when during my childhood in Grimsby I used to watch Top of the Pops and bought 7” singles after saving up my pocket money. It is moody, soulful, dark, heavy and of course sullen but most of all it’s full of progressive energy. “Nodus Tollens – Act 1: Oblivion” is a highly accomplished album. This isn’t an especially long album but what it lacks in quantity is compensated for by its quality and depth. This leads into the haunting aura of “The After” before the atmospheric prog power pack “Fail Safe” closes out the album. “Human” is more of a slow burner, but the band bring it to life with expanse and sharp emotion. The heavy groove in a progressive context is hat makes this album stand out, and it’s all here in spades on “Memento”. The lyrics are dark, so too is the music which creeps along in a similarly dark way. It’s sinister and even mystical, cleverly expanding in heaviness and breadth. “Soul Interrupted” is just that – an instrumental psychedelic soundscape. But what I liked was that the delivery wasn’t didactic or emotional, were always under control and allowed freedom to the strong and at times flamboyant instrumentals. I didn’t have the lyrics but I could see that the exhortations to “dream for a while” could lead us to those higher realms of consciousness. “Skylines” drifts along nicely, transforming in tempo and mood, bordering on epic but staying within bounds. It’s clear that Sullen have a good ear for interesting patterns, layers and structures. “The Prodigal Son”, which opens up the album, has a nice balance and good harmonies. It’s very prog, especially in the imploring but strong clean vocals, but it’s hard, melodic and with a djenty death metal element, which gives it additional oomph. This is the Portuguese band’s second album. To be honest, this description covers most things that I listen to so my hope was that the band would rise above the parapet and deliver as promised “layered textures” and a visit to “higher realms of existence and consciousness”. Nodus Tollens is “a neologism used by John Koenig to define the feeling of insecurity that some people get when they find that their lives don’t make sense any more”.
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