In between the blasts of black metal, death metal, and doom, I always try and find the time for some noisy and sometimes weird punk and noise rock. There’s something about ear piercing bursts of sound and the sheer swagger of some of these bands that have made explorations of the styles so appealing, and this is exactly what Oakland’s Nopes have been able to channel on their third full length Djörk. With songwriting that is unafraid to shake things up and explore classic rock ‘n roll and punk energy as well as more angular and jagged noise rock, this is a fun album that’s weird in all of the right ways.
With short, punchier tracks leading the way Nopes makes an immediate impression with how loud and noisy their material is. The almost two-minute blast that is “Pocket Square Motherfucker” offers up a mix of fast paced punk and rock ‘n roll riffs that don’t stay in one place for too long and feels like a rollercoaster ride of feedback and bottom heavy riffs with some cowbell at the end for good measure. Compared to their previous releases, this album leans a bit more into the heavier side and spends just as much time exploring off-kilter tempos and noise rock as it does punk which pushes the band into some new territories. Nothing feels like it is off-limits for the band to explore, whether it’s the slightly mellower and warmer tone of “Needle Swallow” or the funkier bass and guitar grooves on “Hihg”. But no matter where Djörk chooses to go, Nopes has some catchier hooks underneath the noise and embraces their weirdness which definitely makes this a loud and fun record to return to. Sometimes it reminds me of a cross between The Jesus Lizard and Arab on Radar with some garage rock in between, and that’s an appealing combination. The only downside is the eight minute closer “Synonym for Defeat” where the band really leans into the muscular noise rock grooves and slows the tempo significantly, which does feel like it stretches on just a bit longer than it needs to. But even though I prefer Nopes when they’re keeping things on the shorter side, they’ve got strong hooks overall and Djörk gives listeners plenty of weirdness and abrasive edges that stand out.
If you couldn’t already tell by some of the song titles mentioned in the last paragraph, Nopes has a tendency for quirkiness and others like “Drink the Cat”, “Amber is the Color of Your Alert”, and “Son of Sam’s Club” also deserve to be mentioned. One of the biggest changes from 2018’s Stapler is how in your face the vocals are, as where they were buried in feedback and sounded off in the distance before on Djörk they’re one of the most prominent elements. The band’s singer has a rougher edged voice that comes through with all the swagger and attitude of some of the best punk bands from year’s past, and this doesn’t let up for the majority of the album. “Needle Swallow” does give Nopes a chance to showcase some slightly softer singing, but as a whole this is a high energy performance that consistently punches you in the face with full impact.
Where earlier Nopes material had a bit more garage rock and punk influences, their latest album brings in a lot more noise rock and recalls some of the noisiest and weirder groups from the 90s. It’s a direction that makes sense for the band, and even though some of the longer tracks drag a bit this is a wild ride from beginning to end that anyone that likes noise rock or punk will want to check out. Crank it up and hang on. Djörk is available from Magnetic Eye Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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