Subway to Sally - Nord Nord OST
Nuclear Blast – 2005
By Adam McAuley
This album was somewhat of a pleasant suprise to me after reading the band description as Medieval Metal and not really expecting much. Instead, what I ended up with was a diverse album full of unique instrumentation and variation, the likes of which is difficult to find comparison points with, but if I must be forced they could be compared with the likes of
Amorphis in their most psychadelic moments. The vibe throughout the album is delightful and uplifting, complemented by a chunky production job and the sheer volume of the instrumentation used. Again, the genre tagging is slightly misleading, but the approach band takes is certainly difficult to categorize, so I suppose it fits fairly well. There certainly is a folky vibe along with a slight industrial one, however.
I don't think my interest really wandered for a second throughout the length of the disc, the constant variety and punch of the songs maintaining it for every wondorous moment. If I do have one complaint with the album though, it has to be vocalist Eric Fish, whose style simply isn't to my liking, probably partially due to his accent. Overlooking this slight detraction and the relatively short album length,
Subway to Sally are a band with many positives and an uplifting outlook, and in the pool of metal where there is sometimes splendid innovation, but more often mediocrity and a lot of copying, a unique entity like these guys is nothing short of a breath of fresh air.
Quite highly recommended to anyone looking for a fun and different listen, possibly even if you don't like metal in the first place. I look forward to delving into their back catalogue and hearing stuff from them in the future.
Nord Nord OST is a splendid listen.
8.5/10
Official Subway to Sally Website
Official Nuclear Blast Website
