Album Review: Nova Twins, Parasites & Butterflies

At the start of the decade, these distortion pedal-loving disruptors set alight both the rock world and the mainstream with their feral fusion of punk, pop, nu-metal and grime.

Now, Nova Twins defy expectations again with a pigeon-hole destroying third album. Fuelled by self-discovery, grief, guts and an urge to be honest with themselves and their audience, Parasites & Butterflies sees the London two-piece spread their musical wings and soar.

Packed with songs about navigating life and driven by neck-bothering riffs, ‘Glory’ opens the opus with a bang: featuring shades of Britney Spears’ banger ‘Toxic’, the Max Martin-meets-nu-metal number is a blast.

Elsewhere, the catchy ‘Monsters’ is a moshpit anthem in the making, while ‘Hummingbird’ showcases the group’s vulnerable side without sacrificing their edge. Featuring a sample of Iranian artist Mahsa Vahdat’s ‘Lullaby,’ it’s a moving and melodic number that pushes their sound into interesting new territories.

Though Nova Twins’ third offering is a little front-loaded, and they run out of steam close to the end, for the most part it’s a fearless and ferocious listen.

7/10