Best of 2023, Best Solo Artist: BRIDES

This one-man army of sounds has been a regular here on NotTheAmp, having reviewed two of his other projects and being my first artist interview ever. Having made a name for in the industrial scene under the names of Sever the Servants, CARRION, and MissFit Toys, Adrian Borgia is an incredibly talented multi-musician specializing in a minimalist approach in his works. His newest incarnation, BRIDES, takes that minimalist approach to the post-punk genre. Mellow guitars accompany the genre's signature staccato bass lines and atmospheric synths. But what really stands out about BRIDES is the fact that we really get to hear him sing. Usually masked in distortion, Adrian's piercing screams invoke the iciness of black metal from his native Norway, but in BRIDES, Adrian shows the world his shockingly pleasant baritone singing voice. Having released a series of singles in 2023, we are being teased with a full length in 2024, and frankly, I cannot wait to hear it all. Here's to the future for this rising force in the dark music scene.