Track Premiere: Noxis – “Emanations of the Sick”
Nox, riffin’, and shreddage.
I rarely get excited about split releases, but 2021’s Communion of Corrupted Minds by death metal newcomers Cavern Womb and Noxis was a notable exception. Not only did both bands deliver top-notch material, but their respective twisted takes on OSDM were a perfect match, both delivering solid, brutal foundations with just enough of an eerie atmosphere to hint at an otherworldly expanse hidden beneath.
New material from both bands has been Highly Anticipated™ ever since, and wouldn’t you know it, we’re getting both barrels this year. While Cavern Womb is just around the corner, Noxis’ debut LP Violence Inherent in the System is still a ways out, but I can tell you that it’s very much worth the wait.
As indicated by the nod to Autopsy in the single’s artwork (let alone the fact that there is artwork for the single—does it get more ’90s than that?), Noxis have much fondness for old school death metal. Combining the thick sound of Suffocation with the sick technicality of Cryptopsy, the result has a remarkable penchant for going off-kilter just when you felt reasonably sure you knew where things were going.
Ultimately though, Noxis do what metal does best: they shred. This left only one logical choice for where to film the video for “Emanations of the Sick”:
About the old school inspiration behind the song, bassist Dave Kirsch explains:
“This was the very last song I wrote for the album. I was really inspired to write a super catchy chorus, something driven by old doom/death bands but modernized and a little faster. Hence, the fast guitar solo and leads over both choruses. I was also incredibly inspired by some gore death and old school Gorguts. The midsection in 10/8 and the ending guitar riff both remind me of a modern version of Considered Dead and The Erosion of Sanity-era Gorguts. Coming up with the tone and sounds for the ending in the studio with Noah Buchanan (producer) was very fun and smooth. As for the art, we could not think of a better artist to work on this single other than Filth Effigy.”
Guitarist and vocalist Dylan Cruz elaborates on the thematic direction of the track:
“It’s told from the perspective of a person who believes they’ve uncovered the so-called ‘truth’ of having been persecuted and made into a fool. There’s not supposed to be anything concrete to what they believe they found. It’s really a projection of their own loneliness, insecurities, and embarrassment in the form of a delusion that then produces resentment and aggression. The inspiration came from both personal reflection and from the very many conversations I’ve had with people experiencing severe versions of that.”
Noxis’ Violence Inherent in the System will be out on June 28th via Rotted Life and Dawnbreed Records.
Pre-Order it here and check the opener “Skullcrushing Defilement” here.
