Adore is the second album for Canada’s Numenorean after their three-year-old debut Home brought them to the attention of those who appreciate a blend of black and modern metal. Indeed, the Alberta group is pigeonholed into the post black sphere but, assuming that all that is post in the end is not a true genre, the reality is that what is on offer is often much closer to a metalcore that contains within it several variations and above all a considerable emotional impact. It is precisely the depressive-malincholy matrix of the lyrics and certain passages that ends up becoming the added value in an album that, if it does not break new compositional ground, is nonetheless abundantly rich in compelling songs and passages, capable of captivating even those who do not normally have a very friendly relationship with modern metal and its surroundings. The variety of Portrait of Pieces and the enthralling pacing of Horizon are fairly accurate indicators of what is encapsulated in a work that, aided by the ideal duration of some forty minutes, enjoys a good synthesis and steers clear of lapses. Regret itself, which there and then sounds like the classic metalcore track swollen with pent-up rage but lacking in outlets, suddenly opens up on a melodic level while keeping well away from certain mannered cloyingness and leaving a pleasant aftertaste in the end. Saying that two other tracks as notable for impact as the title track and Coma, and adding that the other five tracks (among which Stay, a sort of mini-ballad, stands out) are interludes that are all but superfluous thanks to the good technique in dowry to these guys, Adore represents an approach to modern metal in which depth is not sacrificed in favor of what, instead, frequently comes across as a thick shell within which little more than nothingness is enclosed.
Not only that, but in large part for this reason as well, Numenorean could garner acclaim among cross-genre fans.
2019 – Season of Mist / Depths of Void / Symbol of Domination Prod.
Mournful Sounds 