Album Review: Harmony In Grotesque – Noumenon (Self Released)

Founded in Krasnoyarsk, Russia in the winter of 1998, Harmony in Grotesque are a six-piece dark metal act. They released their latest album, Noumenon on April 30th 2018.

Layered in darkness, Noumenon is part black metal, part death metal, part progressive metal and all heavy metal. It’s becoming the norm for bands to not stick to one particular sub-genre and standing out from the pack is becoming increasing difficult. However, Harmony in Grotesque has been doing this for far longer then most so make it look effortless.

We’re talking about epics that walk between crushing heaviness and melancholy melody such as Neolithic, The Funeral Song and Wind-Up Bird. The clever inclusion of keyboards really makes the difference.

Elsewhere the opening guitar groove of Infected leads into tight, progressive heaviness backed up incredibly intense drumming and brutalising vocals. Stepentatio goes even further with the savageness all while providing some of the most technical and complex hooks and riffs heard throughout the album.

…And Sorrow Will be My Wings is an absolute treat of instrumental hard-rock mellowness before Painted by Pain delves deeply into the soul.

A fantastic piece of work, Harmony in Grotesque have crafted a special album that is hugely inventive and complex but is very listenable.

Harmony in Grotesque – Noumenon Full Track Listing:

1. Neolithic
2. Infected
3. Stepentatio
4. The Funeral Song
5. Wind-up Bird
6. …And Sorrow Will be My Wings
7. Painted by Pain

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Noumenon is out now and can be picked up via Amazon above, over on Bandcamp and streamed via Spotify and Apple Music below. Find out more by checking out their website, Facebook Page and watch their videos on YouTube.