Nothing More: 7 Bands and 7 Songs That Inspired Our Album Spirits

Last week Nothing More dropped their latest melodic-metal album Spirits upon the world and to continue the hype we asked the band, consisting of Jonny Hawkins (vocals), Mark Vollelunga (guitar, backing vocals), Daniel Oliver (bass) and Ben Anderson (drums) to take us back through their musical inspirations that lead to the conception of their new release.

7. Biffy Clyro – ‘Mountains’

Biffy Clyro are killer songwriters and we’ve been huge fans of theirs for a long time. We always reference how a simple chord progression in a major key can still be awesome. They do this very well while still maintaining artistic integrity. Their use of odd time meters without being tech metal is brilliant… it’s not doing it just to do it, but it’s doing it to serve the melody. Our ballad side is definitely influenced and will continue to be influenced by these guys.

6. Deftones – ‘Diamond Eyes’

Nothing More has always been moved and inspired by the good ol Deftones. Chino’s melodies are always so unique and inventive. The final riff of ‘Valhalla’ and the space the drums have were totally inspired by the song ‘Diamond Eyes’ from Deftones. The drums are so tasteful, simple and massive. ‘The Other F Word’ shows off our nu-metal influence too.

5. He Is Legend – 'Sand'

This song is one of my favorite He Is Legend songs. Adam Tanbouz’s guitar playing and tone has always been amazing to me. He’s a brilliant beast riff writer and such an expressive player. The riffs on Turn It Up Like, Dream With Me, and Valhalla are all obvious nods to Adam’s influence on my playing. Enjoy this tune and enjoy all of the band’s discography because they have a ton to dig into.

4. Tool – ‘The Grudge’

We’ve all been massive Tool fans since day one and that love has grown and influenced a lot of Nothing More music. Maynard’s lyrics are always thought out and are excellent complete ideas. Sadly, so many bands these days rarely have a complete idea when it comes to lyrics. Songs like ‘The Grudge’, ‘The Patient’, ‘Anema’, ‘Vicarious’, and ‘Right in Two’ are just a few examples of tunes that have touched us.

Obviously we’re all moved by the odd time signatures and infectious guitar and bass riffs too. In particular I personally have to give praise to Adam and Justin for their use of reoccurring musical melodies/riffs/themes throughout each song and record. If you haven’t done a deep dive into Tool please do. I’ll play you one of my personal favorites – ‘The Grudge’

3. ‘Donnie Darko Score’ by Michael Andrews

I know this an odd eclectic choice, but I’ve always been moved by the scoring done by Michael Andrews in the film Donnie Darko. It’s definitely also one of Nothing More’s collective favorite movies. What I love most about it is its use of dissonance in all of the female choir vocals. These have always moved me to create sections on our albums that are reminiscent of Michael’s work. I feel like I got to go there on our song ‘Face It’. There are choir vocals throughout the song, but primarily the outro background vocals always make me think of Donnie Darko. I suggest you turn off all the lights and lay on your couch or bed and lose yourself in this score, but if I must pick one composition for people to listen to I would pick ‘Cellar Door’.

2. Karnivool – ‘Deadman’

This band has been a band that is constantly inspiring us. Like us and like Tool they take forever to make an album. However, it’s always worth the wait. A lot of our progressive elements are shared in the likeness of this band. You can hear their impact on songs like Spirits and Face It. Their record Sound Awake is also a massive favorite of ours. It’s quite a long endeavor, but check out the song ‘Deadman’.

1. Dredg – ‘The Canyon Behind Her’

The album el Cielo from Dredg is easily one of our collective favorite shared albums. We reference it all the time. It’s so creative and takes you on a wonderful psychological journey. We have so much respect for this band and this record. You can hear their ambient influence on our band in songs like ‘Déjà Vu’, ‘Dream With Me’, and ‘Spirits’. If I had to pick one song off of their album I would choose ‘The Canyon Behind Her’. Throw it on and be moved.

There you have it, knowing this, head back into Spirits and see if you can spot the inspirations and shoutouts mentioned above!

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Nothing More‘s album Spirits is out now Stream here!

Nothing More – Spirits tracklisting

2. TIRED OF WINNING

3. SHIPS IN THE NIGHT

4. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVE MEANS

5. DON’T LOOK BACK

6. THE OTHER F WORD

7. FACE IT

8. BEST TIMES

9. DÉJÀ VU

10. DREAM WITH ME

11. NEVERLAND

12. VALHALLA (Too Young To See)

13. SPIRITS