Noir
Novelists
Noir is the 2017 full-length album by French progressive metalcore band Novelists (often styled NOVELISTS FR), released via Sharptone Records/Arising Empire and running through twelve tightly sequenced tracks that blend ambient atmospheres with technical riffing and emotive vocals. The record leans heavily into melody and mood, opening with “L’appel Du Vide” and “Monochrome,” where shimmering clean guitars, spacious synths, and saxophone flourishes set a reflective, almost cinematic tone before the band move into heavier territory. Throughout, Noir maintains a polished, modern production style that lets its intricate guitar work, fluid tempo changes, and Matt Gelsomino’s clean‑dominant vocal approach sit at the forefront, with screamed sections used as accents rather than the main focus.
Lyrically and emotionally, the album circles themes of alienation, inner tension, and the search for meaning, with songs like “Les Nuits Noires,” “Grey Souls,” and “Heal the Wound” invoking long nights, lingering pain, and attempts at personal transformation. Tracks such as “Stranger Self” and “The Light, The Fire” weave in nu‑metal‑tinged rhythmic vocals and big, anthemic choruses, giving the second half a more urgent, hook‑driven feel while still keeping the band’s progressive tendencies intact. Critics generally describe Noir as a well-crafted, melodic and often beautiful metalcore album whose lush ambient passages and strong vocal performances stand out, even if some reviewers find its dynamics and variety less striking than on the band’s debu
Noir
Novelists
Noir is the 2017 full-length album by French progressive metalcore band Novelists (often styled NOVELISTS FR), released via Sharptone Records/Arising Empire and running through twelve tightly sequenced tracks that blend ambient atmospheres with technical riffing and emotive vocals. The record leans heavily into melody and mood, opening with “L’appel Du Vide” and “Monochrome,” where shimmering clean guitars, spacious synths, and saxophone flourishes set a reflective, almost cinematic tone before the band move into heavier territory. Throughout, Noir maintains a polished, modern production style that lets its intricate guitar work, fluid tempo changes, and Matt Gelsomino’s clean‑dominant vocal approach sit at the forefront, with screamed sections used as accents rather than the main focus.
Lyrically and emotionally, the album circles themes of alienation, inner tension, and the search for meaning, with songs like “Les Nuits Noires,” “Grey Souls,” and “Heal the Wound” invoking long nights, lingering pain, and attempts at personal transformation. Tracks such as “Stranger Self” and “The Light, The Fire” weave in nu‑metal‑tinged rhythmic vocals and big, anthemic choruses, giving the second half a more urgent, hook‑driven feel while still keeping the band’s progressive tendencies intact. Critics generally describe Noir as a well-crafted, melodic and often beautiful metalcore album whose lush ambient passages and strong vocal performances stand out, even if some reviewers find its dynamics and variety less striking than on the band’s debu