I am definitely listening to more post metal these days, and it never ceases to amaze me just how broad the genre can be. I guess this is true of any subgenre of metal, but even the bands I have reviewed in the genre this year have been quite varied. Enter Phoenix, Arizona, based 4-piece Nullingroots, which features the talents of the brains behind amazing progressive death metal band Dessiderium, an immediate interest pique for me. Nullingroots is definitely a different beast, blending the aggression of black metal and the dreaminess of shoegaze and indie rock, all soaked in a blanket of atmosphere. The vocals remain in the realm of the demented, tortuous black metal influenced screams full of passion, and the black metal influences come through in many guitar riffs and blasting drums throughout. Countering the aggression are the emotive post rock guitar melodies and the airy, and sometimes eerie, shoegaze atmosphere, calming forces that create beauty amidst the chaos. The band utilizes dynamic contrast and tempo shifts well, with hints of progginess, while building a sense of unease at times with the use of dueling off balance rhythms and eerie piano melodies, relying on the dichotomy of the contrasting styles to keep your ears engaged while never lacking cohesion. The bands that came to mind the most as I went through repeated listens were Dawn of Ouroboros, Appleseed Cast, and Explosions in the Sky, though there are plenty of others as you will read throughout my review. But it isn’t that Nullingroots sounds like these bands, these were just influences I identified. And this is something I love about this album: the band is paving their own path while using strong building blocks as they go along, creating an album with a lot of depth and character.

Opener “Memoir of a Frail Past” starts with a bright piano soaked in ethereal atmosphere, building as driving drums and guitars enter the fray in a dueling polyrhythmic mechanic, tortured vocals haunting the airwaves. Early use of polyrhythm keeps you off balance, whether the simple piano melody that almost feels out of place, or the myriad rhythmic and tempo layers competing with each other. Halfway through, driving atmospheric post rock serves as a nice transition, yielding to a piano driven melody supported by guitar. The pace has been mostly subdued to this point, but the pace erupts explosively just after the five minutes mark. Drums race amidst tremolo picked melodies, blackened aggression dueling with the softer guitar and piano, navigating ebbs and flows until the end.

“Remember My Name” makes me think of a collision between early Appleseed Cast and Dawn of Ouroboros, with slower emotive post rock melodies juxtaposed against atmospheric melodies invading speedy blastbeat ridden shrieks. The song starts quietly somber before rolling in melancholy distortion a la early Appleseed Cast. After the second chorus, we are treated to an instrumental break featuring a chaotic blend of airy post rock, evolving to blackgaze fury soaked in atmosphere and nimble post rock guitar flourishes around the four minutes mark. The fury eventually subsides to an Explosions in the Sky like interlude, then blasts ahead in beautiful brutality in Dawn of Ouroboros fashion. Your ears get a reprieve with a proggy feeling indie rock passage, a bassy underbelly supporting wall of sound guitar tones while subtle black metal riffs sneak there way in, a hastening sense of urgency unfolding in the final minute. 

“In Reverie’s Embrace” is a fabulous mix of prog and post metal textures. It begins with solemn piano and guitar picking, enveloping the listener in unsettling ethereal atmosphere as a high hat rhythm drives from below. The vocals enter just before two minutes, post hardcore esque in their delivery, with the keys driving the main melody in dreamlike fashion while guitar riffs lurk in the shadows. The song builds, shifting to a more guitar driven approach and forceful drumming. The song continues to meander amongst a forest of dynamic twists and turns, polyrhythmic atmosphere permeating the soundscape as it plays with your auditory senses, impassioned tortured vocals piercing through. The keys are used to great effect, adding a dark moodiness that coats each melody. 

“Life Thief” starts relaxed with a slick  guitar melody, then pivots quickly to thick post metal riffs and vocals, melding a somber melody amidst the heft. You are soon greeted with raucous drumming while the melody continues, the surroundings dripping shoegaze lacquer as chaos infiltrates the beauty. The vocals are emotionally charged, adding to the chaos while underscoring the beauty. Just over halfway returns to a similar feel from the intro, a calm transition into an extended atmospheric river of shoegaze, before blasting ahead in chaotic beauty. Dissonant ethereal melodies are layered into the fury, pummeling you while bathing you in uncertainty, finally relaxing the tempo as dissonance continues to ring.

The title track starts ablaze, black metal fury pummeling your skull as light keyboard flourishes ring under the crushing assault. The first five minutes of this song are a frenetic dichotomy of rich progressive post rock atmosphere and blackened rage, deftly navigating sharp tempo shifts that keep you off balance while showering you with airy melodies and brutality. The off balancing force is accentuated via the dueling nature of the regular slower piano melody against the crazier riffing, and the sum of all of these parts gives me serious Dawn of Ouroboros and Slow Crush textures. At five and a half minutes, the song enters ethereal Explosions in the Sky territory, fabulous post rock melodies exploding in atmosphere, providing a platform for the heartfelt screams as the song picks and pummels its way to the end.

Closer “The Optimist” ends the album in epic fashion, a nearly 14-minute opus that showcases everything the band is capable. You are immediately thrust into another blackened assault, but it isn’t long before you are greeted with post rock textures and perhaps the only true guitar solo on the album, majestic and powerful. Three minutes in gives you a slow but sinister atmospheric black melody, wretched vocals serenading you, then layering in ethereal shoegaze to thicken the atmosphere further. The band stays here for awhile, mixing in various melodies, finally picking up the pace around the seven minutes mark, but only briefly. Everything drops out, the sound of birds surrounding with Appleseed Cast / The End of The Ocean feels coming through the light picked guitar riffs. A big crescendo allows the post rock atmosphere to pop and fill the room with its airy distorted melodies, then literally pulls the rug from beneath as it relentlessly blasts ahead. It finally settles into a prog flavored post rock finale, layered melodies commanding your attention, eventually beginning to fade as this impressive album closes out.

I enjoyed this album on first listen, but I found repeated listens improved my appreciation and understanding of its depth. There is enough to appease a more casual listener, but diving in is rewarding and improves the listening experience. If you are a fan of atmospheric black metal loaded with impassioned melodies, you should check this out!