Official press release:
Louisiana-based progressive death metal project A Novelist is proud to officially announce the upcoming February 8th, 2019 release of their sophomore full-length, Folie. The band once again enlisted the talents of renowned sound engineer Jamie King (Between The Buried And Me, Wretched, etc.) to ensure the best possible production for their new album. Folie was mixed and mastered by Jamie King at The Basement Recording, produced by Jamie King and co-produced by Kevin King, with cover artwork by Jessica Morgan.
A Novelist is the creative partnership of drummer Alex Babineaux and vocalist, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist Ben Nugent. Started in 2009 between friends in Lafayette, Louisiana, they began with the simple goal of writing and playing death metal. Over time their goals as a band grew larger, driven by a bold desire to expand the idea of what death metal can be through free and uncompromised expression. While A Novelist is primarily composed of Alex Babineaux and Ben Nugent, they seek to have each album function as a manifestation of a cooperative society that has the singular goal of making art that they love.
After several years spent developing the sound of A Novelist, the duo released their well-received debut album Portraits in December of 2015. The album was praised by many outlets for its one-of-a-kind merger between progressive metal, technical death metal, and progressive death metal. Their forthcoming second album Folie expertly builds upon the multi-faceted death metal style found on Portraits while allowing their progressive music, black metal, experimental, and additional non-metal elements to take on an enhanced role this time around.
Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ben Nugent explains A Novelist’s eclectic sound as drawing from “black metal, death metal, prog metal, psychedelia, post-hardcore, blues, prog rock, jazz, fusion, ambient music, surrealist film, and noir film.” Folie will strongly appeal to fans of groups such as Obscura, Between The Buried And Me, The Faceless, The Human Abstract, Opeth, The Mars Volta, The Armed, Dillinger Escape Plan, Glorior Belli, and Birds in Row.
You can check out an early album teaser video for Folie below:
A Novelist issued the following statement regarding the concept and themes behind Folie:
“With this album, we really tried to go to places that neither of us were comfortable going during the writing of the first album. The first album was actually written about 4 years prior to its release and some of the material is actually much older. I think that at that time we were young and both focused on extremity more than songwriting. We had fallen in love with the intensity and technical prowess that was so fresh and at times mesmerizing to us with the bands that we were into when we were having our sort of coming of age on our instruments. With Folie, it is obvious that we still share that same affection for extreme music but also make an earnest effort at really incorporating songwriting and dynamics. Folie is French for madness.
Concerning the concepts of the album, it discusses relationship dynamics, trust, loyalty, community, the growing lack of empathy seen in modern society, aging, and death. The album is based around the life and particularly the last 4 years of someone very close to the band. We use allegory and allusions to the Inquisition and the story of Hiram Abiff. The album is based around a protagonist named the Pope of Hell. This is a title bestowed to those of only the most kind and benevolent disposition that knowingly sacrifice themselves for no self-gain specifically with the intent of reaching greater truths for the betterment of humanity. The name is derived from the idea that the person deemed eligible for this title was so kind and selfless that even Lucifer would feel compassion and spare this person of the potential for perdition. The end result of this position always leads to the Pope of Hell being deemed impenitent by the public. Historically, the impenitent were the people during the Inquisition that would refuse to recant their beliefs or values for a lesser punishment ultimately causing them to be burned at the stake.”
Folie track listing:
- “Folie Noire”
- “Exteriors”
- “Tombeau”
- “Apparitions”
- “His Kingdom Is Vast”
- “Strangers In The House Of Auto-da-Fe”
- “Acacia Crown”
- “Caveat Lector”
- “Stockholm Blues”
- “Crestfallen”
- “Learning Paralysis”
- “Interiors”
A Novelist is:
Ben Nugent – vocals, guitars, bass, keys, effects (Nethermost Majesty)
Alex Babineaux – drums (Nethermost Majesty)
Backing vocals performed by Alex Babineaux, Chelsea Self, and Jessica Morgan
Guest musician: Marc “Elder” Linam – Tenor saxophone, Alto saxophone, Baritone saxophone, C-melody saxophone, Clarinet, Oboe, and Flute