SINGLE REVIEW: Nox Pulso - No Exit
Nox Pulso are a two-person sonic wrecking ball, and ‘No Exit’ is proof that sheer force doesn’t require a full band—it just needs vision, precision, and a whole lot of controlled chaos. Childhood friends Matt McIvor (electronics) and Duncan Williams (guitar) came together in 2022, and in that short time, they’ve managed to create a sound that’s frenzied, intricate, and unapologetically aggressive. This is industrial metal at its most unrelenting, a no-nonsense assault of snarling guitars, sludgy textures, and electronic intricacies that grind and pulse with furious intent. It’s a volatile collision of EDM and metal, with the attitude of punk and the sheer sonic weight of a battering ram.
The track is a masterclass in tension and release, pummelling forward with absolute ferocity before pulling back just long enough to make the next hit feel even heavier. The guitars are thick and driving, with a mechanical, almost dystopian quality, while the electronic elements weave in and out, twisting and contorting the sound into something even more punishing. The vocals are raw, commanding, and absolutely dripping with confidence and defiance—no polish, no restraint, just pure, unfiltered energy.
One of the absolute standout moments is the spoken-word interlude—a brilliantly placed pause in the chaos. A distinctly northern-accented older woman berates the music, irately dismissing it as “noise” and “screaming, not singing.” Her exasperated tone is nothing short of brilliant, adding an unexpected but wildly effective contrast before the track lurches into a grinding, sluggish churn—only to explode back into full-throttle rage moments later. It’s moments like this that showcase Nox Pulso’s sharp creative instincts. They don’t just make noise—they weaponise it, bending it into something calculated, engaging, and completely thrilling.
If you can imagine Raging Speedhorn or Earthtone9, but jacked up on something even more volatile, you’re in the right ballpark. There’s also a definite connection to The Prodigy at their most aggressive, that same raw energy and hybridised chaos, but with a more direct injection of industrial menace. It also shares DNA with Keith Flint’s punk side project Flint—that snarling, no-frills, full-impact heaviness that doesn't let up. It’s searing, it’s commanding, and it’s absolutely not for the faint of heart.
Nox Pulso have fused industrial, metal, electronica, and punk into something that feels like a direct punch to the face, and I love it. This is the kind of band that thrives in a live setting—I can already picture the sweat, the strobes, the sheer physicality of the sound shaking through a crowd. Absolutely captivating stuff.
