Review by Joe Harvey
The initial reaction I had the first time I began listening to A New Constellation was that it sounded original. The album has that dark metal sound to it with a nice solid mix of electronics, which is an always-refreshing sound in the world of metal, if done properly that is. It reminded me a lot of early Amorphis, which has since become an almost forgotten sound. From the start, it sounded as though Nahemah was pulling it off, that is, until the vocals came in. The gritty, overpowering volume of the screaming vocalist sort of drowns out the rest of the music, leaving it the only thing I was able to concentrate on. During the instrumental parts, the music is very enjoyable, to the point where I was hoping the vocals would not come back in, but unfortunately, they usually did.
It is difficult to choose any standout songs on the album. All of the songs share a similar style, making the whole CD blend together in a somewhat unexciting way. As mentioned before, the instrumentals throughout the record are what are most enjoyable. Parts such as the stretch mid-way through "The Trip" are what make me want to listen to Nahemah a lot more, but parts like that are rare on this album. The ending song, "The Outer", is a very enjoyable tune. It is, as one may expect, the only all-instrumental song on the album. The only problem is that the song is very slow and melodic, and probably not what one would be primarily looking for when listening to a metal CD.
It seemed to help to listen to the songs a few times over, to sort of have the music work its way in and notice things on a second or third listen that I may have not heard the first time around. The overpowering vocals began to be less of a problem at this point, which was a relief. I like how Nahemah's music takes on simultaneous aspects, being both heavy and relaxing at the same time. It is the kind of metal that can appeal to any mood, be it angry or calm. The band does not try to target one specific sound, which is always nice to see from a band. Open-mindedness in a vast genre like metal is always refreshing.
For more information on Nahemah:
Myspace
Lifeforce Records