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In 2005, in an old, dilapidated farmhouse in Groningen, Holland, the foundations of Noir came to be. With a mix of rock, metal and post-rock Noir creates a genre they call modern progressive rock/metal. “Under Different Angles”, their first EP, was released in 2007, followed by “A Glimpse of Perfection” in 2008, both very well received. The DVD “Noir Live@Vera” was also released in 2008.
The fall of the Berlin Wall, a notable symbol of freedom, inspired the band members in 2009 to begin “The Berlin Wall of Sound” project. On 9th November 2009 Noir left for Berlin together with 170 guitarists and bassists from the Netherlands, Germany and other countries. In the so-called “death strip”, where the Wall used to stand, Noir and a wall of musicians stretching for more than 200m together created a memorial in sound as a counterpart to a memorial in silence. The 3-fold piece written for the project symbolises the creation, standing and fall of the Wall.
Currently Noir is working on material for a full-length album. Following various tours in the Netherlands and abroad, winning prizes such as the “Groninger Popprijs ‘07” and appearances at Eurosonic ’08, Eurosonic/Altersonic ’09 and Eurosonic/Grunnsonic ’10, this album is due to be released in 2010.
Members
- Nikky Sriamin, vocals
- Frank de Boer, bass
- Douwe Dijkstra, guitar
- Sven Jurgens, drums
Former members
- Martin Lok, guitar
- Mark Gerlsma, drums
Highlights
- Initiating and performing “The Berlin Wall of Sound” with 170 guitarists and bassists in Berlin.
- National Liberation-festival Groningen 2010
- Performance @ Eurosonic ‘08
- Performance @ Eurosonic/Altersonic ‘09
- Performance @ Eurosonic/Grunnsonic ’10
- EP-presentation @ Vera Groningen.
- Winner “Groninger Popprijs” ‘07
Jury of the Rode Oortjes Festival 2007 about Noir:
Very beautiful, unpredictable compositions. A nice transition from clean vocals to grunt. The female jury was very curious to hear the clean vocals a bit more, because it was very beautiful. One jury member watched breathlessly. If music was a puzzle, this band has all the pieces in their right place.
Rockportaal.nl:
Heavy, battering. Tight riffs that are sometimes hypnotic, sometimes exciting. A characteristic kind of melodiousness. A singer who can sing very beautiful, knows how to handle something that almost sounds like haunting and can even scream as a lunatic. Take the third and last track where singer Nikky sounds like a dangerous madman. This is the discovery of the year, as far as I’m concerned, and that from our own country!
Aardschok:
The musicians have a great feel for each other. The song “Betraying my sweet religion” worked very well for me. Of course this is a matter of personal taste, but I think that if these gents continue with this, they surely will enchant more people.
Musicfrom.nl:
Noir can be black as night, but at other times it seems like the sun is breaking through. Dexterous, original and very impressive! Because of this excellent performance at Eurosonic, it is clear that Noir is ready for the big stuff.
Vera, Club for the International Pop Underground:
This band has to go on tour until they drop and they can grow to be a serious force in this corner of music.
Lords of Metal:
The quality of this demo is excellent and it can be labelled as a first success in my opinion. Unfortunately, Noir only has gigs planned in the norther part of The Netherlands, so I hope they’ll be visiting the south soon. Which (Dutch) band will support Noir and take them with them on a clubtour to give them the reknown they deserve?
LiveXS:
The compositions are beautifully balanced. Fans of modern progressive rock will love the music that Noir offers.
Metalfan.nl:
This mini-cd impresses me a lot. Noir has been going on for almost four years now and they have found the right route with A Glimpse Of Perfection. As far as I’m concerned, they can bring out a full-length album soon. Because what the title suggests, this is indeed a glimpse of perfection.
