une critique élogieuse du dernier album parue dans le magazine "Unrestrained"... :
New Model Army - High
(Attack Attack)
For a band 27 years into their career with nine studio albums, a handful of live albums, numerous singles and countless live shows, you would think they'd be showing their age by now. Nope, not even close. New Model Army are as hungry as ever –and it clearly shows on their tenth studio album, High. For those who recognize the name but can't place it, think The Hunt off Chaos A.D. from Sepultura or I Love The World off Manic Impressions by Anacrusis–both were written by New Model Army. So, are they a metal band? No, not at all. In fact, they don't easily fit into any category. Rock, folk, punk, jazz, goth, and many more labels have been used to attempt to describe the band, but no single label actually fits. That's the beauty of this band. Every song sounds different, so how do you fit them into a single category? You don't. It's simply New Model Army. This is a band that truly follows its own path, and because of that, they have legions of fans around the globe who follow them with fanatical devotion.
High has a similar feel to their previous studio album, Carnival, but takes things to a different place altogether and the addition of Marshall Gill on guitar creates a renewed sense of urgency. The mellow parts are mellower, the heavier parts heavier, the melodies even more melodic, and as always, Justin Sullivan's brilliant lyrics carve vivid images of religion, desperation, war, and his extensive personal experiences.
Wired sets the pace for the album, shooting out of the gate with an infectious groove and a catchy chorus harkening back to their early days while still letting us know they're always looking forward. One of the Chosen is disturbingly dark with Michael Dean's tribal drums and Nelson's distorted bass creating a chilling backdrop for lyrics that go inside the mind of a religious extremist. This is a song a lot of metal bands would love to have written. The music mellows out a bit on a title track that elevates the value of a fresh perspective, while Justin pleads for understanding on No Mirror No Shadow. With Dawn, the mood changes yet again with its upbeat, anxious pace and a sense of pushing forward. The outright sinister feeling of All Consuming Fire contrasts nicely with the ethereal Sky In Your Eyes. Throughout, Dean White's keys take their most prominent role to date, adding layered richness, intensity, and expansive textures. Into The Wind relies on a simple, yet amazingly effective riff that is perfectly matched with the beautiful melodies - one of the many highlights of the album. With Nothing Dies Easy the repetition of the guitars creates a lingering impression. Breathing is absolutely spellbinding with its thundering drums, explosive guitars, and haunting words of somebody trapped in a tunnel collapse deep beneath the city. If you caught a live show recently you'll recognize Rivers which opens with a jazz/lounge vibe that slowly builds to a dramatic, anthemic chorus. If the album ended here I'd be happy - but they managed to save the best for last. Bloodsports. It simply explodes out of the speakers, and with lyrics that cry, "I am not at war," this is one of those songs that will have us all desperate to memorize the lyrics so we can sing along (as loud as we can!) for years to come. Bloody brilliant.
For fanatics like us: 9/10, new fans: 7/10
Brian & Christy Munson
