A lot of music comes onto my radar thanks to social media, and NERVØS! is no different. While the band is based out of Nord-Trondelag, Norway, one of the members is an Icelander, which is how I first crossed paths with them via the three-band 7″ Noise Punx Against Fascism from 2020. They recently posted on Facebook about some cassettes that were available and, one thing leading to another as it often does, I found myself not only buying the cassette but also three of their 12″ records, including the new re-release of 2016s Giving Up.
Giving Up gives off a noise rock feel, a sound that is fast, raw, and lo-fi, very much the sound of a dank basement show with week-old beer on the floor. You’ll find yourself wondering if something is a bit off with your turntable, or if maybe that stale beer grime somehow transferred to it, by which I mean… it sounds great. Fuzzy, deranged, buzzing, barely in control. The one outlier is the heavily plodding “Parade”, coming at you like a bucket full of still-wet concrete swinging back and forth from twine attached to the ceiling, its slow arc causing chunks to drip from the edges as it reaches its apex and threatening to knock the unwary unconscious. In other words, it’s the coolest track on the record.
You can stream Giving Up on the NERVØS! Bandcamp page HERE. The label, Bitter Dose, sells on Discogs and as of the time of this post you can get a copy on vinyl from them THERE.