Never Obey Again – Trust

Italian metal unit Never Obey Again were formed in 2023 and have wasted no time introducing themselves. Here they are with their second album already. Entitled “Trust” it comprises of 11 tracks over its 40 minutes, so nothing very long, just hard-hitting blasts of modern metal. It’s an interesting mix of electronic effects, melody and metalcore.

Steering this particular juggernaut through its relentless journey is vocalist Carolina Bertelegni who has an impressive range at her disposal. As a result, the compositions vary in style from pop to extreme metal. You don’t have to wait too long in most tracks for an opportunity to head-bang.

The first such point comes 25 seconds into opener ‘Animal by Choice’, after a deceptively mellow atmospheric intro. As the track moves back and forth between soft and aggressive, Carolina adjusts her vocals to suit. After these opening four minutes, I realised that Scarlet Records have signed up another excellent addition to their portfolio.

That feeling continued as the tracks came and went. The energy in tracks like ‘G.O.D. (Given or Denied)’ is transferred to you and lifts the spirit. Carolina doesn’t growl, she screams, which seems more suitable for these short musical smash and grabs.

Taking it down a gear, ‘Never Feel, Never Fear’ starts with an electronic voice before launching into a lively catchy number. As I have grown older, I find myself seeking more variety. Bands like this wouldn’t have appealed to me a decade ago. Festivals such Progpower Europe have evolved and influenced me, as well as UK Tech-Fest which opened my eyes to heavier stuff. Of course, a big factor has been working for the ProgSpace since 2019.

The next brace of songs are chalk and cheese. By that I mean they are totally different from each other, not their titles. Both are catchy and you may find yourself humming a piece of one or the other. The first is ‘Give me a Fuckin’ Break’ which, as you might guess is sweary and aggressive. Its counterpart ‘Under My Skin, Before Your Eyes’ is mellow but powerful with one of the few lead breaks on the album. The pair form a sort of musical yin and yan.

The halfway point of the album is now reached and is punctuated by a short instrumental labelled ‘Lost…’ This leads straight into ‘Control’ which eases you into the second half. It’s a well-structured song despite having the lyric line “Bla Bla Bla”, “Bla Bla Bla.” Having said that, because of the way those lines are delivered, it actually works okay. Screams are kept to a minimum in this one and tend to be in the background. Then, as if to make up for the lack of screams, they are back with a vengeance in ‘I Wish.’ Melody is never far away in any of the tracks though, and this song is no exception.

The less extreme ‘Conquer and Divide’ gives Carolina the chance to show off her powerful clean vocals. A complex rhythm and underlying riff serve to add depth to the song. In the second half of the track the screams return in keeping with the lyrics. “To conquer and divide. This is a battle we will fight forever”

Photo Credit – Oleksandr Kmit

The quality of the songwriting is consistently good throughout the album and the penultimate number ‘Waterfall’ is one of the standout tracks. There are all the expected elements, melodic sections interwoven with more extreme parts and some screams. Finally, going somewhat against the grain, the album ends with the title track ‘Trust’ which is melodic and beautifully paced. The contrast between their styles is a strong tool in their locker and shows great promise going forward.

If their output continues as it has so far, it will be hard to keep up with them. This is a happening band who you may well find on the line-up of a festival sometime soon. I hope I am lucky enough to be at one such event because I’m sure this material will transfer very well to the live environment.

Tracklist:

1. Animal by Choice
2. O.D. (Given or Denied)
3. Never Feel, Never Fear
4. Give me a Fuckin’ Break
5. Under my Skin, Before Your Eyes
6. Lost…
7. Control
8. I Wish
9. Conquer and Divide
10. Waterfall
11. Trust