Swedish metalcore band Normandie has continued to keep fans on their toes ever since the release of “Sellout” and the announcement of their upcoming EP, SIDE EFFECTS PT. 1, out April 17. Now, they’ve released “Cyanide,” the second single from the EP.
“Cyanide” starts off slow with a melancholy piano melody before exploding into heavy guitars. Lead vocalist Philip Strand’s slightly distorted vocals come in with “All of my thoughts are turning on me again,” immediately setting the tone. The first verse pulls the listener into the darkness the band is experiencing due to a toxic person, while the pre-chorus brings us back to the haunting piano we heard at the start, mimicking a slow fall into blackness.
The chorus erupts with the strong declaration “falling in love / is going insane”, further emphasizing the toxicity of the relationship. But still, the narrator can’t seem to step away from it, stating he’d rather die.
The second verse dips into the “heavy Normandie” that fans were so excited to hear the return of on “Sellout” as Strand serves up some harsh vocals and describes “running from the feelings” and letting “the devil in.”
The bridge brings a full-on breakdown, which works well in contrast to the song’s ending: after the final chorus, we hear “everything is going black” before the music abruptly chokes off and we descend again into the same melancholy piano. After all we’ve heard, this melody paired with some eerie electronic beats feels like a final fall, with dark water consuming us until everything goes dark.
The cinematic, moody music video brings the song to life as we see the band performing in the rain and on a cloudy beach, with a striking shot of Strand screaming underwater in the intro. The video features cool tones throughout, adding to the atmosphere Normandie has built with “Cyanide”.
Leading up to the release of “Cyanide”, the newly independent band had been “boosting the algorithm” by posting daily covers of popular songs as reels on their Instagram. This has certainly helped to hype up fans, and their dedication to both their craft and their fans is clear. We can’t wait to see what’s next from Normandie.
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