(written by Islander)
“Broken Smile“, the name of the Danish band Nonrestraint‘s new single, has a dual meaning, at least as I interpret it. Lyrically, it refers to its narrator emotionally and mentally falling apart — “dead inside,” hating “everything inside,” dwelling in “thoughts of malice.” He says, “All I’m left with is a broken smile.”
But then there’s the other meaning: The song itself will knock your teeth out, leaving you with a different kind of broken smile.
left to right: Casper, Tore and Kim
Nonrestraint‘s lineup includes experienced musicians from the Danish hardcore and metal scene, with members from Hard Lessons, Sloevsind, and Wolves Among Us. They’re finalizing their debut EP, aptly named Hellish Trauma, with plans to hit the stage in the Spring of next year in support of it.
So far they’ve released one single (“Defeat This Sickness“), and the song you’re about to hear is the second, with more to come next year leading up to the EP’s release.
Amalgamating their previous experiences and interests, what Nonrestraint deliver is a brutal crossover of beatdown hardcore and death metal. As displayed on “Broken Smile,” that takes the form of clobbering drums that sound like avalanche boulders coming down, viciously downtuned and ruinously abrasive riffage that seethes and slugs, furious, red-throated yells, and monstrous roars.
The music jolts in starts and stops, pounding and gnashing, anchored by lead-weighted bass-lines and thuggish drum-blows. It also boils in violent frenzies, but the overall feeling is one of a cold-hearted, cold-blooded beating — except for the vocals, which just sound deranged.
We’ll also share with you that first single, “Defeat This Sickness,” which came out in mid-November.
Lyrically, it’s no more cheerful or hopeful than “Broken Smile,” with its own protagonist “trapped in endless pain,” with no one but himself to blame, suffering with a mental sickness that’s eating him alive.
Here again, Nonrestraint inflict a bare-knuckled, heavy-grooved beating in varying speeds, sometimes slow and dismal in its mood, other times bouncing off the walls in a feral fury, and with some pulverizing breakdowns in the mix. The high-low vocals are again furiously unhinged.
If you had any teeth left in your head after “Broken Smile,” this one will punch the rest of them out.
MEET THE CORE OF NONRESTRAINT:
Tore (Hard Lessons) – Vocals & lyrics
Casper (Wolves Among Us) – Guitar & songwriter
Jacob (Sloevsind) – Guitar
Kim (Hard Lessons) – Bass
Daniel (Sloevsind) – Drums
Rasmus – Drums
Carsten (Anger X Rage) – Booking, graphics etc.
As noted above, more Nonrestraint singles are coming in the New Year. To find out about those and to learn about their live shows, follow the band via the links below.
FOLLOW NONRESTRAINT:
https://linktr.ee/nonrestraint
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonrestrainthc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nonrestraint/
Bandcamp: https://nonrestraint.bandcamp.com/