Nornes – Thou Hast Done Nothing

Nornes
Thou Hast Done Nothing
Label: Sleeping Church Records
Out: 28^th November 2025
Playing time: 55:50

Nornes are a Doom Metal band from Valenciennes (France), founded in 2017. Their heavy and atmospheric sound is a blend of traditional Doom, Funeral Doom and Death Metal. The band made their debut in 2018 with the EP ‘Vanity’. Two years later, another EP followed with ‘Threads’. With these two releases and various live performances, Nornes established themselves as a rising band on the French Doom scene. This year, their debut album ‘Thou Hast Done Nothing’ followed.

Never Ending Failure’ starts with spoken words accompanied by clean guitar chords. The clear guitars remain, but it becomes really powerful. Strong, solemn Epic Doom. The growls provide a clear Death/Doom edge. And so it splashes along for almost eleven and a half minutes. However, that’s not meant to be a criticism! The sound is calm, dark and melodic. It fits the mood of the current season. Was the album’s release date chosen deliberately? The vocals alternate between nasty growls and ethereal clean vocals. Towards the end, there is a quiet passage with clear guitars before bitterly angry growls take over again. ‘A Rose To The Sword’ starts a little faster with almost frantic guitar sounds. But shortly afterwards, the wave of Doom strikes again mercilessly. Despite everything, there are also some melodic sections in which not only the guitars but also the bass play a part. An epic introduction opens ‘Our Love Of Absurd’. The calm and rhythmic drumming is impressive. ‘Perceptions In Grey’ is an ‘outlier’, at least in terms of playing time. It is the only one of the five tracks that doesn’t even come close to breaking the ten-minute barrier. Otherwise, it is just as slow-paced, just as dark and just as peppered with the interplay of clean vocals and evil growls. And, of course, the hammering Doom riffs are repeatedly broken up by epic melodic passages. ‘Oneness’ also stands out in terms of playing time, clocking in at almost thirteen minutes. The song begins with quiet, subtle guitar chords. But fear not, the rhythm section soon roars majestically from the speakers.

I have to admit, I’m a fan of solemn, dark Doom sounds, and not just during the dark season. And ‘Thou Hast Done Nothing’ offers plenty of that. Many may find this music boring. But I immerse myself in these soundscapes. Just close your eyes, look inside yourself and enjoy the tranquillity, the calm, the epicenes. Then you will be able to discover many subtleties hidden in the music.

Lineup:

Rom – Guitars, Vocals
Adrien – Guitars. Vocals
Noé – Drums
Ju – Bass, Vocals

Track list:

• Never Ending Failure
• A Rose To The Sword
• Our Love Of Absurd
• Perceptions In Grey
• Oneness