French atmospheric sludge/post-metal duo Nvage premiere new single and music video »Savior«; self-titled debut EP out May 16th!
Paris, France based atmospheric sludge/post-metal duo Nvage premiere the first single and music video »Savior« taken from their self-titled debut EP, which will be released on May 16th, 2025.
Listen to »Savior« on all major streaming services!
Tracklist:
01. Savior
02. In Here
03. Games
04. Come Alive
05. Blind Eye
06. Haunted
Courtesy of Clément Duboscq // Vous Connaissez ? PR:
The first single and opening track of Nvage’s debut EP, »Savior«, is born of a desire to let off steam and be effective, and is claimed to have been composed very quickly. It’s true that after the warning intro, Nvage send everything flying with a totally destructive riff. Unintentional hardcore aggression, affirming the duo’s original sonic DNA. Clément Decuypere’s 6-strings bass makes the whole thing vaporous, without distorting its initial intention. A tour de force? I’LL SAY IT. As for Jérémy Hourdoir’s drums, they reveal all their power, with the kind of lumberjack strokes we love. What more could you want from a single that promises to break a few necks? And to top it all off, Clément’s voice plays the otherworldly, almost black metal howl card to the hilt. The singer tells us more about the theme that runs through »Savior«:
“The lyrics for this track came after the composition and deal with those I call “scum bags”, who think they can save the world all by themselves but who put themselves forward more than anything else. They’re just trying to defend themselves and their interests. As I was writing the text, beyond the frustration and rage I had to expiate at the time, I realized that there was a simple parallel to be drawn. In this case, with the situation where we’re not doing well ourselves, where we have to face up to something. We try to deal with it on our own, we don’t tell anyone about it, and we just get worse. So »Savior« can be read on two levels: as a heavy criticism of these assholes, and as a way of asking ourselves whether we sometimes do the same in our own lives.”
To accompany the single, here’s a beautiful music video that is intended to feed the artistic and visual direction of the project, without obeying a plot or scenario. Directed by Martin Delbos, the clip features the duo exploring abandoned quarries, in an atmosphere that is both contemplative and claustrophobic, even oppressive at times. All this is interspersed with close-ups of the band performing the song.
Photos by Matou Poussicat1
The arena of heavy, challenging music welcomes a new contender ready to do battle: NVAGE! Or the duo that’s definitely keeping metal from going round in circles. With only a 6-string bass, drums and a voice that didn’t choose between howling from beyond the grave and ethereal vocals, this very first EP imposes a unique style and a maturity that already breaks the ceiling. After having cut their teeth on stage opening for DVNE, My Diligence and Witchorious, Nvage blooms with great promise, these 6 saturated, ambient and intimate tracks under their arm. And the watchword deserves to be announced: atmospheric sludge has never been so close to Gojira’s »Magma«!
Nvage is the brainchild of Clément Decuypere and Jérémy Hourdoir. One is a fan of post-metal and sludge, the other is steeped in noise and math-rock. Here’s the crucial collision point, laying the foundations for a music created from the heart and guts, with no desire to reproduce codes. Instinct, pleasure, the uninhibited inspiration of what the duo hears here and there, and a shared love of DIY dominate. Indeed, with this EP, this young band manages to bring to the fore a sound too rarely heard in the metal sphere, using amplifiers made from salvaged equipment. A week of live recordings in their native Seine-et-Marne (eastern Paris suburbs), capturing a moment of striking spontaneity, then in-house mixing and mastering, and you’re done!
This copious, 25-minute debut EP is a very special experience. Nvage seem to blur the lines as these 6 tracks, although well separated in the tracklisting, give the impression of being linked together in one big block of sound. »Savior« opens the hostilities with an unintentionally hardcore aggression, as an affirmation of the duo’s novel sonic DNA. But watch out, PLOT TWIST: the reverb-laden riffs escaping from Clément’s Squier VI make said aggression simply vaporous. Intriguing, isn’t it? Especially before giving way to »In Here«, which reveals the brighter, clearer side of Nvage. Jérémy, for his part, alternates coherently between heavy hitting and patterns of welcome subtlety.
On the other four tracks that follow these two inaugural ones, the duality of huge/massive vibe vs. ethereal escape is intelligently maintained. Nvage has clearly not skimped on ambience and scope. Clément gives us some insight into the vision behind the project:
“I’m convinced that the best way to slap your audience in the face is to contrast powerful moments with calmer ones. It’s this contrast that makes all the difference, because you end up not feeling it at all if you’re constantly exposed to this power. There’s nothing more beautiful and soothing than any little note, any little arpeggio and any little chord more relaxed, with a nice reverb. In a church or a cave, all you have to do is say a little word and it vibrates for 10 seconds. It’s something that really gets me going. When we lay the foundations for the tracks, we really go for something that’s going to breathe and live. We love that kind of texture.”
Please do not copy and paste them without prior permission or credit to your source. As a first EP built up gradually, Nvage doesn’t follow a thematic thread. But Clément and Jérémy certainly evoke subjects that speak to them and frustrate them, often on common themes. There’s little interest in telling stories or developing a theme taken from literature or elsewhere. Their texts are centered on experiences, feelings and rage. The relationship with injustice is quite present, as is a form of anger in the face of the one we all witness every day. The subject of self-acceptance is also explored. These guys may be in their thirties, but they’re going through a kind of coming-of-age. A moment of serenity simultaneous with their own weakness. Something very intimate… But only expressed by screaming!
Clément goes even further: “Our duo formula, minimalist and intimate, allows us to develop this alliance of power and atmosphere. Because it’s clear that we wouldn’t be able to express ourselves as freely as if the band consisted of 4 or 5 people. And let’s face it: it’s good for the 2 big guys that we are to be able to do that!”
Threatening Cumulonimbus? Peaceful Nimbostratus? As you may have guessed, Nvage shapeshifts at will. But this very first EP proves that its center of gravity is unshakeable. The duo’s claim to the title of exciting rookie on the adventurous scene is one to watch very closely!
Nvage Live:
16/05 – Paris @ Le Klub RELEASE PARTY w/ Maudits + Clegane
17/05 – Savigny-le-Temple @ L’Empreinte / Grand Paris Sludge 2025 w/ The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown + Dirty Sound Magnet + Daily Thompson + Subterraen
24/05 – Magny-le-Hongre @ File 7 w/ Birds In Row + Black Bile
Recorded by Nvage, assisted by Pierre, David and Felix at Fortunella (Tournan-en-Brie).
Mixed by Jérémy Hourdoir.
Mastered by Pierre Guignery (Carpenter Bee Studio).
Cover photo by Jérémy Hourdoir
Edit & design by Clément Decuypere.
Promo photos by Matou Poussicat1.
Line-up:
Clément Decuypere (vocals/6-strings bass)
Jérémy Hourdoir (drums)
FFO: My Diligence, Hangman’s Chair, Gojira, Cult Of Luna, Russian Circles, REZN, Bossk, Yob, Pallbearer…
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well