Never Not Nothing: “Ritual Destruction” Review
Finlay Hillman-Brown reviews the first new track by British Electronic Rock band Never Not Nothing since their 2018 debut.
Sometimes you find incredible things by accident. Never Not Nothing, formerly Black Futures Expedition Club, are one of those things. They filled in as support on the first half of Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes’ End of Suffering tour after Estrons disbanded, and after my initial disappointment about the end of one of the most exciting small bands had abated, I was blown away. Leaning heavily into their narrative as the crew on a doomed spaceship, they effortlessly blend electronic elements with a sound not far from Royal Blood. It’s pretty safe to say that when they announced their first single since their 2018 (now self-titled) debut, I was hyped.
Rest assured, ‘Ritual Destruction’ continues on thematically and sonically with the band’s previous themes. The opening lyrics call out the damage we’re doing to the environment, economic inequality, and our increasing addiction to technology. We’re not even 30 seconds in. Followed by a robotic ‘vocal’ over a building drumbeat, the tension is building.
Until, with a cry of “Destroy! Ritual Destruction!”, a peak is reached and the dam bursts. The soundscape of this chaotic chorus is genuinely interesting. You’ve got a super energetic drum beat that’s oddly devoid of loads of snare or cymbal, a synth riff basically stolen from a nightclub, and bursts of bass that hold as much fuzz as your speakers can handle. You’d struggle to get further from traditional while still being definitely rock, and for that I can only commend them.
The chorus gives a chance to sit back and absorb what’s just happened, with a simple drum beat and rising synth accompanying the vocal. The contrast only makes the following verses seem all the more heavier, and the bridge all the more jarring. A robotic vocal chanting “Official grave digger / Human race winner” is what we could describe as disconcerting…
While not an exciting musical progression over their past releases, I’m still incredibly excited to be hearing more from Never Not Nothing. With an absolute banger like ‘Ritual Destruction’ as a statement of intent for where they intend to go, I can only assume more crushingly massive tunes are on their way soon.
