Melbourne hardcore newcomers NTH RD have given us a sneak peek of their heavy new single “I Watched You Fade Away”, along with an accompanying video, out tomorrow. Coming just four months after their debut EP Panic, the big track explores themes of loss and change in the band’s best effort yet.
Produced, mixed and mastered by Christopher Vernon (Belle Haven, Future Static, Tapestry), it discusses the pain of watching someone change completely and ultimately losing them as a friend. Anthemic riffs, huge hooks and ambient soundscapes lift the song before a dynamic breakdown hits like a reality check. Equal parts brutal and melodic, it showcases all that NTH RD has to offer while hinting at what’s to come.
Frontman Jordan Kellaway says that the song ‘revolves around the concept of somebody changing into a person that you no longer recognise’, rather than the physical sense of loss. Bassist Lucas Banim affirms that it details ‘the notion of losing a friend, and watching them gradually ‘fade away’ into a shell of the person that you used to know’.
Dirty chugs and crashing drums open the track as the glossy vocals dance above the mix in an infectious chorus. The second verse sees his harsh screams pair with intricate riffs before falling to a spacious bridge with arena-ready drums. A soaring high note is spearheaded by a triplet breakdown that leads to a stomping groove with offbeat screams. “I Watched You Fade Away” is another catchy banger and scarily good for the band’s first single back after such a short wait.
NTH RD will be supporting Suspyria at Stay Gold in Melbourne on Friday 18 Nov for their The Valley of Despair album launch alongside Harroway and Ransom Revue. Follow Nth Rd on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates.
