“We like to say that Childish Gambino and The Weeknd influenced this EP more than Iron Maiden” – Introducing NO:IR

Over the past several decades – or even longer than that in certain circles – many bands have furiously unchained the creative restraints that have been shackled to metal in order to bring the genre into new territories.

Despite it being an unnecessarily dirty word for some, it was the halcyon days of nu-metal that truly presented what could be achieved by unionising metal with rap, hip hop and other related subcultures and genres. It was, and still is, a divisive moment in metal’s history, but one that gathered mainstream attention and opened the gates for more hybridisations in similar nature.

Many years and moons have passed since the inception of the nu-metal moment and yet we’re now amidst a total revival and resurgence of the nu-metal genre. However, the asthenic, influences and overall sound is far flung from the days when the genre was synonymous with baggy shorts and hilariously bad facial hair. Spearheaded by trailblazing acts such as Tallah, Tetarch, Lotus Eater and a myriad of others, the current renaissance of the genre has been met with nothing but praise and acclaim. The recent re-emergence of nu metal – something many have dubbed as the birth of nu-core – has seen nothing but pure aggressive dynamism and unrelenting fury from the acts pursuing the sound. One band showcasing pure promise in rising to the top of the ranks of the still blossoming genre is Bristol’s NO:IR.

Originally forming in 2019 in order to chase a more conventional hardcore sound, NO:IR have undergone a substantial, total metamorphosis since the dawning of this year. Taking direct inspiration from the aesthetics of film noir, the thriving, festering Bristolian culture and the urbanite nature of grime and dark pop, recent months have seen NO:IR emerge from the shadows as a more gritty and enigmatic entity. They’re an entity devoted entirely to articulating the cynicism that comes with modern living and the existential philosophy of enduring a pointless existence with a venom laced take on the genre that’s complete with a blend on grime and cutting edge modern metal. Whilst such claims are often uttered about emerging bands, NO:IR’s debut EP Are We Really Alive? demonstrates fierce creativity and a ravaging hunger to stake their claim as one of the South West’s most prominent modern nu-metal bands.

Produced, mixed and mastered by Josh Gallop of Phoxjaw, Are We Really Alive? Is a frantic beast of aggression, resentment and genre dynamism. Against a lacerated backdrop of piledriving riffs, bombastic trap drums and spasmodic vocals that snap between incendiary grime haste and bellowing screams, the group crash though an ornate blend of a myriad of genres in a manner utterly reckless, yet composed. As demonstrated prior to it’s release with the lead single ‘Spineless’ – a track exploring how authoritarian structures are detrimental to individualism and creativity – the EP is a must listen for anyone with even the passing interest in modern nu metal or rap-focused alternative metal. It’s also one for anyone with penchant for bands who harbour a clear artistic vision.

With Are We Really Alive out now independently, we got in touch with the band to find out more about NO:IR, their ethos, the EP and more.

For those new to NO:IR, how would you introduce the band?

“NO:IR is a modern metal band. Essentially NO:IR is a combination of hip-hop and metal, but we take influence from many other genres, and we are trying to create something which is different and unique within the scene.”

Musically and culturally, what are your main inspirations?

“Musically we are very much influenced by hip-hop and metal, but our influences range from dark pop to emo. We like to say that Childish Gambino and The Weeknd influenced this EP more than Iron Maiden…. but we do still love metal and take a lot of influence from artists such as Bring Me The Horizon and Linkin Park.”

“The idea of having cultural influences I find really interesting! Being from Bristol we take a lot of influence from the diversity of the city’s music scene and like to have a similar diversity within our music, but we also take a lot of inspiration from our personal experiences. A lot of Are We Really Alive? Is about the struggles of being in an underground band and trying to find your own creative identity. We talk a lot about our own day to day lives and like our music to be relevant and reflect us as individuals as well as one identity embodied in NO:IR.”

You recently released your latest single ‘Spineless’, can you talk us through the meaning of the track?

“Spineless is anger directed at societal structures which try to curve individualism. It is part of the overall story of Are We Really Alive? which describes an intuitive journey into our identity. Spineless is more of an empirical criticism of how identity is often diluted by society. The song isn’t just about NO:IR but about all creative individuals who suffer the same prejudices within their identities.”

Your work explores themes of cynicism, existentialism, and to an extent, nihilism. What’s your thoughts on such subjects and what’s the process of articulating these themes in your work?

“My own personal journey with such themes has been very interesting. A lot of my opinions around reality as such come from introspective thought but I do also read a lot of texts around existentialism and nihilism.”

“I personally believe that one of the biggest current issues with western society is that we have become disconnected from ourselves, and that in truth, all things in existence have a deep connection. We have become too focused on physical achievements and created a culture of selfishness, but true peace and happiness is found within human, spiritual and universal connection with oneself and our surroundings.”

“Our EP tackles a small section of these themes and personifies them onto identity. The EP is a discussion on creative identity and purpose as a band acting as one agent. Yes, we are five individuals, but we are all connected within our music and through that we form one identity within NO:IR. NO:IR is more than the individuals that form it and is an amalgamation of all of us. Are We Really Alive? is the journey into the comparison between our separate identities and united identity.”

How does the film noir genre influence you as musical creatives?

“Film Noir influences our image a lot. We try to treat our music videos like Noir movies with dark lighting and black and white filters.”

Your debut EP Are We Really Alive? is on the cusp of dropping, how are you feeling about the release?

Releasing the EP will be very calming as well as exciting. We’ve been working on this EP for well over a year now and we have encountered so many issues at all stages of writing, recording and promoting the EP due to covid. It has been a lot of hard work, a lot of stress and been a real challenge for us to get to this point so when it finally drops there will be a huge sense of calmness and relief. We are all very proud of the EP and we are just excited for the future of NO:IR and we can’t wait to share it with everyone. Really this is just the first step in our vision and we cannot wait to see how the next stage of NO:IR unfolds.

Josh Gallop of Phoxjaw produced, mastered and mixed the record. What was it like recording with him and what did he bring to the table creative wise?

Josh is one of the easiest people to work with! We felt very relaxed in the studio, but he did also push us to get the best takes. Josh definitely added his creative touch to the EP and a lot of the tones and sounds were created by both the band and Josh, so it was a big collaborative effort. Without Josh the songs would be the same but would sound very different.

Nu-metal seems to be currently going through a global renaissance, what’s your thoughts and feelings on the current state of the genre and it’s related scene?

“It is really positive to see the genre making a comeback! The metal scene at the moment is very interesting and I think it is very much related to popular music. The new emo is Lil Peep and Juice WRLD, Bring Me The Horizon are in the charts, and we’ve got this intense amalgamation between genres which used to be polar opposites. Travis Barker is probably one of the best alternative drummers out there and he is constantly playing with rap artists, and then on the other side you’ve got artists like MGK moving from rap to pop-punk. Essentially, we have got this huge cross over between alternative music and pop music which is filtering down into the underground scene.”

“Some of the best upcoming artists like Nova Twins, Wargasm and Bob Vylan are all taking huge influence from trap, grime and drill and people are calling it ‘nu-metal’. I listened to a Spiritbox track the other day and it had a breakbeat in it… metal is no longer stuck in its own enclave and is branching out. I genuinely couldn’t think of a better time to be in the scene as metal has never been quite so diverse and there is so much opportunity to push the creative boundaries.”

Finally, what do you want listers to take away from Are We Really Alive?

“I want listeners to go away and challenge their own ideas of their identity. Hopefully the EP can inspire people to step away from societal pressures and cultural norms to find peace within themselves and discover more about their own personal identities.”

“Also, I hope people can understand our vision for NO:IR and have excitement for the band’s future.”