Heavy ambient post-punk band Null have long been a staple of the creatively vibrant Birmingham, AL DIY music scene. Founded in 2007 by guitarists Carter Wilson and Kevin Wright as an experimental drone metal outfit, the group have steadily evolved and honed their sound over almost two decades. After playing shows together for years in various punk and hardcore bands, Brenton Reid, Brad Davis, and David Hickox eventually joined the group on bass, synths, and drums, respectively. The band continue their striking evolution with new shades of heaviness and melody on their dynamic third record First Sign Ahead.
Null occupy the musical midpoint between the tightly wound and ponderously expansive. Because of this, they have condensed the drone-like repetition of their earlier work into a focused mantra. Pummeling guitars, foreboding synths, monolithic, driving drums, and Wilson’s chant-like monotone vocals propel their songs. Bands like Godflesh, Melvins, and Killing Joke suffused with dour new wave and industrial might give you the general idea. However, Null blend these influences together into a wholly original sound they’ve achieved through sheer longevity and artistry.
Here, Null refine their sound to its finest point, yielding deeply satisfying results. Recorded in the world-famous Muscle Shoals, the band opted to record the album live in the same room with minimal overdubbing. This approach showcases a deep musical understanding between the musicians after years of performing together as a formidable live band. They also embrace melody here like never before. First Sign Ahead, their first for Impossible Wallpaper Records, finds the band diversifying their attack between pulverizing riffs and ethereal yet solid hooks.
The record begins with the title track, which is a bright yet cavernous stomp of a song. It features a guitar line that hangs in the air before plummeting back to Earth minutes later. The second track, “Walking Ruins,” features a fuzzy descending riff that balances psychedelic leanings and locked-in intensity. This dichotomy is one of the band’s most pronounced strengths. Though things can become doom-metal-levels of heavy at times, such as on “Died Broke” and “Pray It Away,” the mood here is not suffocating and dismal, but rather cathartic and gothic.
Wilson’s lyrics deal largely with hypocrisy, turning a deeply critical eye to organized religion. This sentiment is heard on the driving “Hanging Cross” (which features a striking melody) and the aforementioned “Pray It Away.” Here he portrays a character desperate for salvation from a higher power who offers none. He sings, “We might very well be fucked/Old ideals fade/Keep your head on son.” Wilson balances his deep cynicism for religion and generational conformity (“Binds of Blood”) with clear eyed musings on mortality. “Field of Stone” ties its lyrics about the nature of death and acceptance to a muscular rock song free of cloying sentiment.
Null save the best for last with the revelatory track “Passerby.” The song begins with a dancing ghostly melody that stands as the album’s best. Davis then utilizes the vocoder for subtle backing vocals to striking effect. Suddenly, the verse pulls the rug out from under the listener with a crushing riff. Wilson bristles with contempt for those content with apathy before the band starkly shifts back to the lightness of the opening riff. That Null can pull off this range of emotions within the limits of a five-minute song is deeply impressive. It’s the song that perhaps best displays their mastery and efficiency of tone. It also showcases their innate ability for writing impossibly heavy yet catchy melodies. The same can be said for the entire record. First Sign Ahead is the band’s clearest expression of their powers and their best record to date.
