Nominon - Manifestation of Black EP (2011)

Nominon were one of those Swedish acts barely filling out their death metal diapers when countrymen like Entombed and Dismember were already establishing names for themselves, and yet the fact that their existence dates back to 1993 puts them well ahead of the hordes of Left Hand Path wannabes we've heard in recent years. To date, they've produced a number of solid full length efforts like Diabolical Bloodshed (1999) and Recremation (2005) which provide the same tangible excitement as their forefathers, without seeming like 100% derivatives. To supplement their four albums, they've issued a number of short player EPs through their history, the latest of which is Manifestation of Black through their latest imprint, Deathgasm Records.

Obviously the value here is somewhat confined due to its brevity, but for what it's worth, the title track is one of the best the band has written in some years, with solid tremolo riffing and unbridled, demonic energy redolent of some of the heavier Dismember records. The tones are not a far cry from their most recent full-length Monumentomb: grimy and muddy distortion which leans more towards an organic representation than a heavily polished one, immediately creating an inherent, murky darkness that honors its title. "Burnt Human Offering" follows suit, not a hell of a lot more charming than the first track but fully consistent in style, and I do like the thrashing impulses buried near its aft. The drums and guitars here are quite rich, the bass appropriately dense and shadowing the rest of the mix, while the latest vocalist Henke Skoog gives a ghoulish performance that would make L-G Petrov and Matti Kärki proud.

All told, you're only getting about 8-9 minutes of new music here, and who can tell if it's going to be included also on their next full-length (their last EP, Omen, was not exactly bristling with exclusive material). I wouldn't reach for this over Nominon's first three albums, but it's decent and gritty old school death metal from one of Sweden's longest lived devotees of the form, and it has only to contend with its own shortness of breath.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.nominon.com/

Nominon - Omen EP (2009)

Nominon have released this 4-track EP as a teaser for their upcoming album, now signed through Deathgasm Records. Once again, this is a release purely for the fans of the band, as there would simply not be enough value contained within to lavish money upon it unless you are collecing their releases. Nominon are another of the Swedish bands who (for years now) have been promoting and performing a very old school brand of death metal, which tempers the sounds of Swedish classics Entombed/Grave with some early American influence. I've enjoyed some of their full-length efforts, especially Diabolical Bloodshed and Recremation, but for all its loyalty and energy, I only found a few of the riffs here satisfying.

"Omen" leads off, the representative of their forthcoming new album, with a feral, grinding energy that hits a pretty catchy old school riff before the minute mark. The lead and churning rhythm below are also quite intense, but otherwise the song did not catchy my attention. "Invocations" is a re-recorded track from the band's Blaspheming the Dead EP (2003), and it explodes at you, with a killer lead off hook. The solo here is once again cool, as Juha Sulasalmi's vocal echoes over it and the guitars chug along beneath. Though it's old news, this is probably the best song on this release. "Through Dead Dreams Door" is another newer track, but it's another good song (and better than "Omen" in my opinion), which evokes a horrific atmosphere, as if you were being stalked through some condemned hospital by a mad surgeon intent on some malpractice. The fourth and final cut is a live rendition of their great "Submit to Evil", from Recremation (2005). Sounds like it would be pretty sick to experience in a live setting, but kind of hard to make out on this recording (except the vocals, which sound great).

If you're already a big fan of Nominon and their Swedish death peers like Paganizer, Ripspreader, and the like, and you're collecting all their output, Omen is 16 minutes you might not want to miss. The re-recorded "Invocations" and "Through Dead Dreams Door" are the meat of the material, but I could care less for the title track or the live. It's ever the burden of an EP to entertain you enough for its short playlength, which is why so few are really worth the time (the best being EPs that contain 4-6 tracks of exclusive material). If you're new to Nominon's sound, I'd highly advise checking out their first two albums before any of their shortform releases.

Verdict: Indifference [6/10]

http://www.nominon.com/