I saw Nuclear Idiots return with a new album after seeing Mirrorball Music release a new audio video on YouTube. What stuck out was the feature from Cacophony. She’s a versatile artist mixing genres and it was unexpected to see her name on a metalcore/rap/rock song. Then Nuclear Idiots sent a direct message letting me know about the album too.
NCLRIDTS in two words is “fucking fantastic.” The band presents 10 songs with a little over a 34-minute length. Nuclear Idiots’ Anti:Society was 14 songs at 51 minutes and was a bit of a large investment to get through the entire thing. NCLRIDTS sounds a bit more condensed and focused, offering the best of the band while removing some fat. Even with 10 songs, the band is able to dive into longer songs while also allowing the album to move quickly with shorter tracks.
The album’s start on “Titan” is just a quick introduction that sets the groundwork for NCLRIDTS. It’s like a summer blockbuster trailer soundtrack, building tension in every verse. “Cult” is a slower start than I expected, but once the song’s introduction is over, get ready for a ride. Nuclear Idiots’ influences within their favored genres are obvious. There’s so much metalcore, post punk, alternative rock, rap/rock, and electrocore weaving in and out. Really, Nuclear Idiots made an album that’s less about a wall of noise and an actual melodic full-throttle experience. The album is fun and gets energy pumping.
The various features also give Nuclear Idiots some variety. “Flame” with Cacophony is mainly a rap/rock song reminding me of KORN, but Cacophony’s vocals fit perfectly during the quick addition. I think she also adds some extra chorus to the track. The female vocal addition adds a different cut to the song and it’s amazing. “This War” features Jungwook of ARES. I’m not familiar with ARES so I’m actually not sure where the feature is. Regardless the song is still amazing.
The final feature is “Tokyo” with Kim Kyung Joon of Honey Pepper and Broken Valentine and Moon Juna of IDIOTS. Closing NCLRIDTS with a melodic rock track was unexpected, but it actually gives Nuclear Idiots the perfect ending to the album. You only expect the band to work to destroy your ears, but they prove they have the ability to create an amazing track that many might miss.
Honestly, it’s too much work to go through every song on NCLRIDTS, but know that there isn’t a throwaway or song that doesn’t succeed. Even if you don’t like metalcore or aggressive music, the musicianship and talent that the band has must be recognized. This is one of the best albums of 2022.
Twitter | Instagram | Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Music
Chris P
Korean Indie owner and Editor at Large. Constantly looking for new music and working on library parity on Spotify and YouTube Music.