The band's name is ancient Gaelic, pronounced "Bray-G Nay-Fuh", which translates to "holy lie", and for a group rigid in their commitment to act as the Noam Chomskys of new atheism, it must be hard to focus some of that commitment toward giving titles to their album and its songs, which are irreverently entitled “Track I”, “Track II”, “Track III”, and, yes, “Track IV”.
Metal, with its historical animosity toward religion, ironically is more devoted to Judeo-Christian concepts than anything this side of the scriptures. Other than "death," “God” and “Satan” are the biggest parts of metal's liturgy. Breag Noafa are humanists. They believe in the sanctity...oops...the impropriety of using animals for anything beyond a petting zoo. "Good on you and up the rebels," as the Irish might say. So with this all this seriousness, what do Bobby, Brian, Rob, Roger, Ronnie and Tre do with their gnashing of teeth and rending of garments?
They make some of the most amazing, passionate metal heard so far in this young year, and then give it away for free on their website, Radiohead-style. These four tracks are insistent guitar workouts that create giant palettes of emotional color performed by guys who sound as though they've all just lost their first girlfriends.
The tempos vary enough to keep the riff-cycling and drumbeats (on plastic drum heads, surely) in air-tight lockstep. The convincing growl vocals are placed deftly throughout the arrangements. Within the swirling worlds of seventh and diminished chords, repetition plays a transcendental role as the tracks make a comfortable bed for soaring guitar solos. These are not Zakk Wylde finger-orgies. These solos are sustained voicings of loss, loneliness and despair. To blaspheme, these solos are Weld-era Neil Young and Ol' Black territory... sort of.
Untitled doesn't rock. It wails to portentous rhythms nestled in a production so good, one can only wonder whose trust fund was emptied. This is an album worthy of notice. The 4 "Tracks" clock in at over 39 minutes. Their bio mentions a few bands they "like", notably Isis, to whom they bear the most resemblance.
Breag Naofa is hard to, ahem, nail down. Untitled just doesn't sound like any other "untitled" album. In the pretension of its anonymity and the irreligious bile soaking it like a fruitcake without a holiday, Untitled is a true accomplishment. Buy this album... oh, wait you can't. Download this album. And leave a little donation in the Paypal basket for Breag Naofa on your way out.
(released February 14, 2012 on Panic Records)
