EYE OF NIX
Multi-textured night terrors from the heart of Seattle
Seattle’s Eye Of Nix swim in obscure waters. Melding operatic vocals, delirious screams and poetic weight, they have quickly gained critical acclaim for their unique sound, which has progressed even further with their second release, Black Somnia. The band’s vocalist, Joy von Spain, is their enigmatic leader and in her they have a focused weapon – whether that’s in the songs where the narrative is key or in answering questions where excess is frowned upon and only necessary information is imparted.
Forming in 2012, the band recorded Black Somnia last year, but their line-up has shifted in recent months. Time will tell how these new additions will influence the music but Eye Of Nix already have a solid foundation on which to build with a sound that takes in sludge, noise, doom and a heavy dose of darkness.
When pressed for the meaning behind the album title, Joy explains: “Black Somnia delves into living trauma, fear passed down from one generation to the next, deception, violence as control or punishment, anxiety, flight response, and death as evasion from this lineage of fear.”
Her striking voice evokes all of those elements and she utilises an impassioned scream as well as truly gorgeous clean sections. Her vocals tell so many stories, but what drives the choices as to which voice becomes the foreground on each track?
“It’s typically driven by what’s happening with the instrumental music,” she says, “but sometimes by the lyrics. On the final album track, there are two characters,” she recounts. “A chorus of clear voices describe a monstrous person, and she screams her own warning to the listener.
The intensity of a song section might call for brutality or beauty, and I want the whole range in the palette.”
What does the future hold for Eye Of Nix? “We plan to continue exploring sounds without style or genre barriers.” There’s no other option than to believe that.
LINE-UP: Joy von Spain (vocals, guitar), Nicholas Martinez (guitar), Zach Wise (bass, vocals), Luke Laplante (drums), Masaaki Masao (samplers)
HOMETOWN: Seattle, USA
SOUNDS LIKE: An epic, emotionally wracked and rapt odyssey through turbulent sonic landscapes. FOR FANS OF: Undersmile, Bell Witch, Thou
CURRENT RELEASE: Black Somnia (Scry Recordings) WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/eyeofnix