Big|Brave, along with recent collaborators The Body (on Leaving None But Small Birds), Sunn O))) and Earth, are one of those bands whose music while fundamentally heavy and ‘Metal’ (for all intents and purposes) nonetheless expands far beyond the sometimes self-imposed conservative restrictions of the genre. Being a somewhat inactive member of a Metal group on Facebook, I am all too familiar with the more traditional brand of Metalhead for whom the genre stopped being ‘true’ after Iron Maiden‘s Somewhere In Time or Metallica‘s …And Justice For All. If you are of that ilk therefore, I have a sneaking suspicion that this album possibly won’t be for you.
For newcomers, Big|Brave is a Canadian trio from Montreal, Canada formed in 2012 and comprised of guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie, guitarist Mathieu Ball, and drummer Tasy Hudson. The band released their first album way back in 2014 and Nature Morte (Dead Nature) marks their seventh full-length release including the aforementioned The Body collaboration. Being a fan of album art, the cover certainly drew my attention, the shrivelled flowers highlighting the album’s title perfectly.
‘carvers, farriers and knaves’ impacts you from the off, Robin’s soaring wails ala PJ Harvey sitting perfectly alongside a crushing Melvins‘ drone style stomp, Tasy’s drums especially remind one of Dale Crover from said band. How can something be so monstrously heavy yet emotionally moving simultaneously? It takes a special talent to be able to pull off such a feat and it’s evident that Big|Brave are the very band capable of doing so.
An outstanding start to the album.
‘the one who bornes a heavy load’ starts with some Big Black/Wreck style proto-industrial metal scrapings as well as shades of Brit/Greek experimental noise-rock combo Kooba Tercu, particularly their track ‘Cemento Mori’. From there a significant change in tempo takes place around the one-minute forty mark but one which more than matches the track’s opening salvo in terms of intensity.
‘my hope renders me a fool’ marks the record’s halfway point and is also one of its shorter numbers. An instrumental, it taps into both early Earth and Joe Preston‘s overlooked Thrones project with its decimating low growls before evolving into some pretty pleasant clean chord playing. A veritable delight and a beautiful stopgap piece. ‘the fable of subjugation’ evokes images of being on a western Buddhist retreat without the real-life chore of having to engage with any of your fellow residents and there is a melancholic quiet dignity that is omnipresent in the track. a parable of the trusting on the other hand is one of complete catharsis, the vocals taking at times an almost violent turn. The track threatens to erupt into a mass of molten frustration at any point and the tension throughout therefore is positively palpable. When they do in fact unleash, it’s done with a devastating power that had only been hinted at on proceeding numbers, a standout for me.
‘the ten of swords’ concludes the album on a mellow note, one which brought to mind the dream-pop/folk of artists such as Hope Sandoval and Plum Green. There is also a psychedelic influence that gives the song an interesting otherworldly countenance.
I had been aware of Big|Brave prior to reviewing Nature Morte but had never really invested any serious time into them apart from the odd cursory listen. This was a clear oversight on my part because I can safely affirm that this is an engrossing and soul-enriching piece of work and one which is more than worthy of your time.
Buy the album here:
https://bigbravesl.bandcamp.com/album/nature-morte
9 / 10
REZA MILLS