Back in 2017 Boris was contemplating breaking up. A fact that they memorialized with their album, Dear. The break up didn’t take though, and thank god, because what would this pandemic be without a new Boris album? They release materials regularly and it is always a source of comfort to dive into one of their records. They released their latest record in the middle of this past summer too, a time when many people were still reckoning with the reality of the pandemic and how long it will likely last. Having a new Boris album at that time almost made things feel sort of normal. A little moment of indulgence that the universe permitted in a moment when we’ve been collectively swept up in a giant ball of shit, gaining speed as it rolls downhill. The defiantly titled NO, is the Japanese metal maverick’s… *moves pieces around abacus**head scratching sound*…twenty-seventh studio album? That sounds about right. Whatever number you want to pin on this record in their discography, it should be #1 on your list of armaments to pull the pin on when you’re in a bad mood. Believe me when I say that it is impossible not to catch a contact high from the pure, aerosolized energy pulsing off this record.
NO falls on the heavier, more highly motivated end of Boris’s discography. The band is best known, to some, for their rangier, meditative sludge and drone. But when Boris wants to kick out the jams, the ruckus they rally could blow the doors clean off a sedan. Listen to them at max volume and you may even find yourself getting a free facelift and bride-of-Frankenstein style perm. NO hits closer to albums like Heavy Rocks in this regard, which is a welcome pallet cleanser after the sometimes mathey, sometimes ethereal, multi-course buffet of 2018’s LφVE & EVφL and 2019’s dream-pop foray1985. NO kicks into high-performance mode with the first track “Genesis,” a genuinely anguished doom crawl that picks up belligerent momentum as it goes, lining up the kill shot for the demonic speed metal blitz of “Anti-Gone,” which drunkenly boxes its way through a Midnight inspired groove and a solid barrier of Guitar Wolf-esque howling feedback. You’re going to get a satisfyingly large bite out of every variety of red-blood rock and roll on this record, from grunge on the slick and savage “Non Blood Lore,” to hardcore punk on the suicidal head-charge “Temple of Hatred” and the hammer-fisted “Fundamental Error,” to the blackened sludge roar of “Zerkalo.” If you haven’t had a head-banging hangover yet, you’re about to learn what one is.
Funnily enough, the lightest track on NO references hardcore twice in its title (“HxCxHxC -Parforation Line-”). Far from being a brutal throw-down this track instead spirals up into a blindingly bright shoegaze exhibition. I mean sure, you could argue that the beat here is very post-hardcore, but the track's emphasis is definitely on the crystalline clouds of feedback they’re putting up and not on the punishing grooves that backs it. Plus, these groves fail to meet the intensity of the guitar and drum interplay that drives cuts like the murky throb “Kikinoue,” or the NYC noise rock homage “Lust.” I could go on, but NO is a record that is better felt then analyzed, and if I’ve done my job writing this review, you’ll have already hunted down their Bandcamp page and smashed that play button.
As an aside, I really find the title of this record inspiring. The world and the people who occupy it are always trying to bend you to their will. But you have a will of your own, and it should not be suppressed if you're going to live a dignified life. Sometimes the best way of expressing your will is by denying an obligation or demand placed on you. So today, I dare you to say “no.”* It doesn’t matter to what. At some point today, when someone asks you to do them a favor or tells you that something or other needs to be done, tell them “no.” Set yourself free. Deny the power that someone else has over you, even if just for a moment. And if it feels good. Keep doing it. You’re your own person, and the world needs to respect this fact.
Grab a copy of NO here.
*This dare applies to any and all social or work obligations, but does not give you permission to not wear a mask in public. You MUST wear a mask in public. It's easy to do and it saves lives. Don't be a monster. Mask up!
