Novak - Ruines

01. Mossoul
02. Parasite
03. Je Ne Peux T'oublier

At first glance, I thought this three-song release would be super short, until I noticed the track times. Most people would think that nine and ten minute long screamo/hardcore songs would drag or get repetitive, but for the most part that's not the case with Novak. If you play screamo in 2013, it's extremely difficult to not get caught in at least a few of the genre trappings, and that's totally fine. It's whether you can take your influences and twist them subtly into something that is very much your own that is important, and there are shining moments on this release in which Novak manages to do that. In a lot of ways, many parts of 'Ruines' bring Envy to mind, and then the band will take a turn into a staccato clean riff, allowing the bass guitar to take center stage, as in opener 'Mossoul'. The bass is a pretty prominent instrument here, and often times the effects coated guitars leave ample space for it to weave around underneath, pairing with the drums to form a perfect foundation for the ambient guitar leads. Definitely recommended for those who like some post-rock mixed in with their screamo.

Reviewed by Justin.

[ download ]