2019 saw the formation of Narakah, a deathgrind-minded outfit featuring veterans of such bands as Slaves BC, Meth Quarry, and First Day Dead.
With an intense sound that balances brutality with technicality, the Pittsburgh-based quartet will appeal to fans of Discordance Axis, Cryptopsy, and Gridlink. To date, Narakah has released two EPs: Dark Light District in 2020 and Blast Haven in 2021.
The next chapter in the Narakah story begins next month with the release of Nemesis Cloak, a 20-minute, 18-track beast that will surely raise the band's profile within the extreme music community. Everything from the labyrinthian arrangements to the visuals to the lyrics on the record are a headrush.
In this No Echo exclusive premiere, we've got two tracks from Nemesis Cloak for you wrap your brain around:
"'F.R.E.E.' was the acronym used by Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki to describe the greatest Dreamcast game of all time," Narakah vocalist Adam Bailey told No Echo. "Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment was meant to convey what the player would be experiencing when they controlled the games protagonist Ryo Hazuki as he seeked vengeance for his fathers death.
"This was years before the Open World video game genre exploded like it has today in modern gaming. As an homage to that little bit of marketing I gobbled up as a teenager reading Official Dreamcast Magazine, I repurposed that acronym to stand for Full Reactive Ears Entertainment. Shenmue will always have a special place in my heart and I’m excited to finally write a song about this gem of a game."
"'Thorough Incendiary Tropics' is based on the Nintendo Switch version of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening," Narakah guitarist Chris Smith offered. "The track follows a game playthrough and describes the toy-like visuals and island surroundings hinting at the Super Mario call-out characters among other things.
"The song is a furious whirlwind blast fest that ends up with us somehow tying in an hilariously appropriate It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia quote at the end—referencing the mountaintop egg."
Nemesis Cloak will be available on CD, cassette, and digitally on July 1st via Force of Reckoning Records (pre-order).
Narakah on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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