Novembre is a name I have been aware of for a while but hadn’t really taken the time to fully investigate. Given my interest in all things death-doom, I knew their music would come up eventually, although all I knew was that their last major release was in 2016. Now, almost nine years later, the band returns with Words of Indigo, an album that is rooted in feelings, leaving all rationality behind. Let’s discuss.
First track “Sun Magenta” starts with this eerily, echoing guitar riff that sets the thematic tone for the rest of the album, as if almost asking the listener if they are ready to head into this journey. Novembre’s music can layer both their more progressive aspects with their more atmospheric leanings creating this impressive wall of sound that seems to reverberate throughout each song. Although each song may have the same musical themes, they are each distinct enough that they have their own identities as separate tracks and work in tandem with the rest of the album extremely well. Novembre also utilizes their space well, in that each track doesn’t bleed into others, having both a beginning and an end. This space is best utilized on songs like “Statua” and “Chiesa dell’ Alba,” tracks that weave impressive instrumentation with melody, allowing the listener to sit with the wall of sound and be mesmerized by how intricate everything sounds. The music also has a lot of texture, where you could almost touch it, but you don’t due to ruining the illusion. Of course, you cannot minimize the death metal aspects the album has – to do that is a disservice to the album. Although Words of Indigo is atmospheric in nature and it sounds beautiful, you almost forget that there are harsh vocals here, used to great effect.
Novembre also has this interesting 80s sonic aesthetic that comes up quite often. While there may be references to Devin Townsend in the orchestration, Novembre sounds like they came straight from the Latin rock heyday, their clean vocals sounding more like Caifanes than, say, Katatonia or Paradise Lost. The music is also incredibly immersive, as you will find yourself tapping your foot along or humming some of the more memorable aspects of each song. While rooted in death-doom, Words of Indigo has this atmospheric feel to it, as if Novembre opted to create an album that was more about the vibe the music creates for the listener. While there are songs that break that atmospheric vibe, such as “House of Rain” and “Your Holocene,” the music is incredibly ethereal, and it eventually sinks its hooks into you.
However, Words of Indigo has some issues. First, the album is a slow burn, taking its time to cement its thematics before it starts to make sense musically. While I did enjoy it in the end, it took me three full listens to fully soak in the music, eventually becoming immersed in it. Second, while I am not opposed to an hour-long runtime, you must be able to justify it, as a lot of the music tends to sound similar throughout. This adds to the feeling that Words of Indigo will be a slog to get through. I expect that, with albums hitting the one-hour runtime, there should be more variance, and for an album that promises a good musical time, Words of Indigo slightly under-delivers. Perhaps this may be a feature in Novembre’s past albums, but I will take this as a moment to visit parts of their discography to see if it shows up again.
Although Words of Indigo takes its time to reach its emotional peak, patience rewards the listener who sticks with it to the very end. Although most people may find this album to be too long on a first listen, let yourself be taken with how fantastically composed it is. Despite being gone for so long, Novembre makes a triumphant comeback with this record, and I cannot wait to see what else they have in store. I just hope we don’t have to wait another nine years to get it.
— Hera
Words of Indigo will be available November 7 on Peaceville Records. For more information on Novembre, visit their official Facebook and Instagram pages.