The basis of this German band is clearly hardcore, but that is definitely not the entire truth judging from their latest release, ‘Echo’. Narziss have been around for some time now and have a number of releases on their conscience.

Only few bands who have any sort of artistic ambitions anywhere without breaking the boundaries and adapt other genres. In the field of hardcore, Heaven Shall Burn know it, Maroon know it, all the really great bands know it.

Narziss know it too and their way around things is to incorporate melody in something I can best describe as a Green Day sort of fashion. It is for the most part a fairly successful recipe inasmuch as major parts of ‘Echo’ sounds nice and clean.

The only problem is that the tunes never become truly relevant. And this is true of the more straight hardcore tracks like Mein Neues Leben and Beschlagene Gedanken as well. Everything is well-played, tight, but you sit there with a constant feeling of a neither-nor experience when listening to the album in its entirety.

Go pop or go metalcore – handling both with conviction is apparently too hard.

If you’d like to check out the band, try the in my ears most interesting track, Maskerade, where conviction shows through with both melody and power.

Oh, just one thing: The band name is very similar to the word ‘Nazis’ when spoken – but there is no connection whatsoever! Just thought I should put that one straight before you draw any wrong conclusions.