METAL BLADE
Instrumental tech metallers add synthwave to their silliness
Nuclear Power Trio’s punfilled 2020 EP, A Clear And Present Rager, was a sign that they weren’t taking their djent anthemia too seriously. This followup is another quip, riffing somewhat distastefully off the title of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s single WAP, but the album is more fun and proficient than its title suggests. Written after spending some time in Miami’s synthwave clubs, the Denver trio have allowed futurism and neon lights to spill into the music, creating a nostalgic, party atmosphere. The terrible puns – Apocalypse Mao, Snark Side Of The Un – remain, but horns and grooves abound on Nyetflix And Chill, while elastic, syncopated rhythms and 80s synth nostalgia collide on Air Force Fun. Elsewhere, sporadic, gleaming solos from In Flames’ Chris Broderick and Scar Symmetry’s Ben Ellis complete a seemingly random, but consistently entertaining, release. ■■■■■■■■■■