Nova Charisma: Exposition I Review

Item: Album Review: Nova Charisma- Exposition I
Rating: 9.1
Author: DrMess

Soundfiction's Dr. Mess reviews the post-hardcore supergroup Nova Charisma's debut release, out on Equal Vision Records August 22nd. Listen to it now on Youtube and Spotify!

DrMess August 22, 2019

Summary

Nova Charisma is an instant obsession. Nova Charisma runs where The Mars Volta Walked. It rips open the human pretense, and gives the chance for people to be champions of their own accountability. The duo's musical aura is more developed in Nova Charisma than any other project they're taken alone.

Good

Follows in the footsteps of The Mars Volta
The duo's synergy is effortless
Exposition I is fully capable of deep, deep healing
Best parts of Solas and Hail the Sun in a hyper-potent Exposition

Bad

I want more.

9.1

Amazing

Vocals - 9

Instrumentation - 9

Originality - 10

Longevity - 9

Flow - 9

Production - 9

Composition - 9

Nova Charisma presents a revelatory triumph, Exposition I.

Nova Charisma is Sergio Medina and Donovan Melero; the post-hardcore legends reveal Exposition I this Thursday. The record comes straight to Equal Vision Records.

Nova Charisma has materialized with a large part of the Swancore fanbase clambering for a taste of their three siren songs. In the first 24 hours, Exposition I sold out their pre-order vinyl package entirely. Nova Charisma fashioned a sound worthy of Billboard Top Charts, and this explosive start for Nova Charisma is only a prelude for what’s to come.

Nova Charisma’s Sanguine Synergy:

Medina and Melero construct the ever-shifting moments of Exposition I like master architects. They fill Nova Charisma to bursting with alchemic metaphors, jaw-drop catharsis, and rip-roaring choruses. The center of Nova Charisma’s brilliance is the wavelength Medina and Melero share, and it’s prevalent through the album. Their synergy is utterly magnetic, even when both musicians take drastic steps out of their comfort zone. The two fuel each track’s traverses into deeper unknowns with the stylistic flair their following has known and loved for years.

Lies Animals Tell shows Nova Charisma’s seductive and revelatory flavors with delicious contrast. It’s a stellar intersection between Medina’s trademark hypnotic pluck and Melero’s wrecking ball lyricism. (Not to mention the first showcase of Melero’s brand new bass chops!) The flow is nimble, leaping bounds between manifold moments seamlessly stitched together.

Melero resurrects the chilling symbolism and phonetic spellcraft of The Mars Volta. The clarity of his metaphors gives the passage an undeniable feeling of realness. It’s breathtaking to see Nova Charisma carry the torch left behind by their influences.

Nova Charisma’s Musical Aura:

Nova Charisma’s music is truly transformative. Its power comes from how fearlessly it delves into itself, fashioning the ugliness of its wounds into something overwhelmingly beautiful.

Boomerang starts out with the silky production and rhythm of a Billboard top-charter. It makes the bridge between post and pop look imminent. Melero expands this with an overwhelming metaphor from his past and a beautiful, skyward aesthetic. At the same time, Melero rips his human pretense to shreds, holding himself viscerally accountable through uptempo beats and a top-notch chorus. As Boomerang progresses, its aesthetic and metaphor elements swell into an unbelievable peak. It’s a testament to how overwhelming Nova Charisma’s beauty can be.

The concepts of accountability and confession grow from tracks on Melero’s Mental Knife into Boomerang. That’s massive, for a couple of reasons.

It shows Melero’s intent to continue rewiring the collective brain of the genre and his following. It redoubles his mission to purge internal toxicity through his music. His poignant, beautiful confession could very well be the blueprint for reconditioning the abuse inherent and concealed within the mentality of Post Hardcore and larger society. Nova Charisma’s music is truly transformative. Its power comes from how fearlessly it delves into itself, fashioning the ugliness of its wounds into something overwhelmingly beautiful.

Deepening Ridges in Nova Charisma’s Musical Fingerprint:

Misleading The Story showcases a beautiful blend. In it, Medina’s complex texturing and Melero’s hypnotic legato vocals find instant chemistry. Deeper, the song explores the deepening ridges of Nova Charisma’s musical fingerprint. A surprise deviation from the Original Teaser shows how aware Nova Charisma is of its audience’s expectations. Knowing them, they play with those expectations to amazing results.

As Misleading the Story ends, it becomes clear that Melero knows how to write an anthem. The lyrics beg for the listener to slip into the shoes of a tragic nihilism that’s all too common in today’s era. It grows without restraint, recalling an amazing line to put a bow on Exposition I.

I’ve gotten a taste of Exposition I, and my appetite has flared to fever-pitch.

The combination of deep lyrical catharsis, ambitious techniques, smooth musicality, and sanguine musical connection make Exposition I an instant obsession. I’ll be waiting with bated breath for the next installment. For today, however, I’ll relish the day that two of my favorite musicians came together to craft this little marvel.