Guitarist Matt Barkley is the brainchild of NOTSM and their debut album Only Death Brings Silence will be out on May 3rd. While the six track album is a blend of metal and prog it is filled with heavy riffs, thunderous drums, and growling vocals that are a perfect soundtrack to a bare knuckle brawl.
NOTSM, an acronym for “none of this shit matters” is a motto Matt has been using to remind himself to focus on the important things in his life. One could say, he applied his motto when in search for a vocalist who could bring to life the lyrics he had written. He could have spent hours and hours auditioning vocalists, but instead, using what was at his fingertips, he found vocalist Alex Hamilton on Fiverr. It proves that it sometimes does pay off to go an untraditional route when it comes to creating music.
On the album, Matt says,
“The aim of this album and its singles is to provide listeners with a multifaceted listening experience. Through the lyrics, I aspire for listeners to connect with the themes and find personal resonance, all while delivering plenty of opportunities for headbanging from the heavier moments of the album. During softer moments, I hope listeners will appreciate and be moved by the melodies, while during more experimental segments, I hope they’ll find intrigue and curiosity, urging them to explore the full breadth of the musical ideas presented.”
With Only Death Brings Silence looking at the dark aspects of humanity, each song seamlessly ties into each other whether it be musically or lyrically. From the track “Humans” discussing the negative impact us humans have made to the planet to “Terminal” which as the title suggests looks at the mortality of humanity. Both could be said to be the cause and effect of the other.
With lyrics inspired by Matt’s experience of dealing with burnout, “The Hedonic Treadmill” and “The Hedonic Treadmill 2” explore chasing the next high are equal parts rhythmically brutal and an assault on the aural senses.
While “You Make Your Own Luck” may look at luck in one’s life, it is fast, furious, and a punch to the gut. While the title track, an almost twelve minute opus is a moment of reprieve that is filled with melodic riffs and spacious rhythms.
Only Death Brings Silence is an intoxicating and powerful exploration of not only the human condition but of sound.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: “Terminal”, “You Make Your Own Luck”, “One Death Brings Silence”
