It took Znous exactly one year to release a new EP. You will not hear me complaining about this. Avid readers of this site will remember I was very fond of Znousland 2, which I discovered half a year after its release. I described the sound of this Tunisian band as a mix of modern metal bands (Sepultura and Ministry were mentioned) with some hardcore influences and a sprinkle of local folk music.
I pre-ordered Znousland 3 as soon as it was announced. I was a bit hesitant though as I was afraid it would be a slightly disappointing affair. No matter how great it is, I know more or less what to expect. So the surprise is gone, which was a large part of me digging their EP’s. On the other hand, those EP’s still got their playtime on a regular basis, so it should be fine.
I should not have worried. Znous took the past year to craft something special. They delved deeper into their influences and diversified their sound even more. Most experiments are a success, one is not to be repeated (if you ask me). It's only seven songs, so allow me to shortly introduce eacht track to you.
The band kicks this EP off with “El-Mansiette” which feels like a warm bath. It is the kind of music I expect and desire from Znous. The intro is adapted from an epic musical folktale which changes quickly into the Znous I got to know on Znousland 2. The extra percussion, the rhythmic delivery of the vocals. It is all there. The ending of the song I find to be slightly disappointing unfortunately. The song morphs into a slow beatdown part over which a guest vocalist grunts his lines. It just doesn’t fit the mood of the rest of the song or discography of the band.
“Swed Elil” experiments with a mixture of doomy riffs and some industrial sounds. The song deals with the history of slavery in Nothern Africa and how the effects of this is still felt today in the form of racism. I almost jumped up from my chair the first time I heard this when the black metal type riff kicked in. What a transition! This track sounds solemn and so very angry at the same time, you don’t have to understand the lyrics to feel the emotion that surrounds the subject for the band.
Next up is “Het Ch3oul”, a song that is dedicated to Cheb Terro, a Tunisian rapper. It is one of the tracks that is completely in line with what I expected this album to be. The subtle electronic flourishes in the song are perhaps used as a reference to the music of Cheb Terro?
“Esmi Mabrouk” offers another surprise with it’s post-metal sound. With almost five minutes it is also the longest track on the EP. For a regular post-metal track you would think the track hasn’t even properly begun, but there is a clear build-up and climax to be found on this song. It is a surprising twist to the Znous sound that works amazingly well.
“Top Rojle” is another track that is very much in line with my expectations, although the funky basslines came as a nice surprise. The two closing tracks have more emphasis on the folky aspect of the Znous sound. “Sidi El-Insan” at times feels like Eluveitie if they were born in a completely different part of the world. “Kigulu” shares the same roots, but has a couple of almost 80’s power-metal riffs in the mix (when powermetal was a term used for less cartoonish music than it is nowadays). I really appreciate the singing on this song. It has an incredible flow.
Production wise the band stuck to what they did in the past, which is a good choise. The production was and is very powerful. Every instrument can be clearly heard, even when there's a lot happening at the same time. Znous sounds very urgent and the production places extra emphasis on this.
I am, again, completely blown away by Znous. This band has grown as writers and have broadened their sound while maintaining the core-sound in place. It is a very recognisable sound that is easy to get into. Highly recommended!
