Melodic Death Metal’s Paradise: Nothing New in Heaven’s Third EP
Publié le 08 Jan 2026 par Claudia Bo
Standing alongside Aephanemer and in the lineage of Children of Bodom, Nothing New in Heaven carries the torch of European melodic death metal with « Crossing the Bloodred Sea« , a release that feels like a gift from the heavens.
The Nihilist’s Bible
The first prophet, Alex Hoerner, is the author, composer and musician behind the Nothing New in Heaven project, which he founded in 2010 when he began writing and recording his own music, solo. The name came to him while reading »À l’ouest rien de nouveau » from Erich Maria Remarque. He was drawn to the title and decided to reshape it into something more mystical, and less directly tied to the book’s central theme of war. Aside from the groovier tracks, the lyrics follow this spiritual thread, offering a particularly cynical view of religion that even drifts into nihilism on some songs.
At the end of 2019, the second prophet, Simon Cousin, entered the band’s story in the wake of the last day of the melodeath gods in their sacred land – in other words, following Children of Bodom‘s final show in Finland. The two Frenchmen met entirely by chance on the bus ride back from the concert. Alex invited him out for a drink and told him about his project, which was missing only one thing: a vocalist. Simon agreed to take on the role, despite the alcohol already running through his veins. The next day, Alex reminded him of his commitment and laid out his influences: Ensiferum, Wintersun, Norther and of course, Children of Bodom.
Like many other bands, COVID-19 paused everything. But Alexi Laiho’s death, singer and guitarist for Children of Bodom, just one year after his final show, served as much-needed kick in the ass. The band realized they had to release at least a first EP, which materialized in 2022 under the name Of Passion and Pain. The momentum carried into 2023 with their second release, Live for Me, Die for Me. And they clearly kept it going in 2025 with Crossing the Bloodred Sea, completing a trilogy of album artwork by Hervé Costa, respectively red, green, and blue, created as a tribute to their late idol.
The new EP’s Behind the Scenes.
This time, Alex received a helping hand from the pen of one of his friends, Alexia Chudy, on this 200-copy release. She delivers the opening words of the EP, as she had already done on one track from each of the previous two releases. NNIH also welcomed guest vocal appearances from: Clément Dellis from Embrace Your Punishment and Sun Eater, Lucie JB and Louis Dorigny. Recording took place in Alex‘ home studio, while mixing and mastering of the five tracks were handled by Guillaume Schappacher of Gravity Sound Prod.
Review
With Fall of the Believer, Nothing New in Heaven opens its latest offering on a piano-driven melody, and just before the one-minute mark, Alexia warns us that religion may be nothing more than an illusory hope. The melodic death metal journey truly kicks off shortly after, carried by Simon Cousin and the band’s orchestration. I was surprised to hear a clean, non-screamed chorus around 2 min 35 s, a practice rarely used by the band, but damn, it fits their sound perfectly.
Then, Waves of Salvation follows with a guitar riff from Alexandre Hoerner that immediately grabs my attention. Once again, a clean vocal choir catches me off guard, and with growing pleasure. This gives way to a calmer passage built around spoken words. When the riff from this quiet moment returns, paired with a remarkbly well-programmed drum track, the listener can only fall for Simon‘s scream, right before a solo that feels far too short comes in.
After a gentle melody closes the previous track, Rise of the Nihilist opens the next one. A little later, the guitar reminds me strongly of a song from Aephanemer, which is by no means a bad thing. As indicated by the title, the lyrics clearly depict a loss of hope in life, brought on by the absence of faith, leaving the nonbeliever to a mortal existence without any real purpose.
For the title track, Crossin the Bloodred Sea, what better way to start than with the sound of waves in the background, accompanied by acoustic guitar, orchestration, and harmonized vocals? Gorgeous riffs intertwine seamlessly throughout the song. Another stunning section, featuring the same vocals as the intro, appears around 3 min 30 s. The track ends with a fade-out, that unfortunately cuts a chorus that deserved to be longer.
The fifth and final track is an unexpected cover, renamed Opa Groovy Style. Any guesses? Here’s a hint: it’s the ninth most-watched YouTube video, with over 5.75 billion views since its release on July 15, 2012. For those who didn’t get it, it’s Gangnam Style by South Korean K-pop superstar Psy. The guitar, bass, drums and even growled vocals give a fresh twist to this globally recognized hit. The lyrics remain mostly the same, except for the chorus « Opa Gangnam Style » where Simon sings « Opa Groovy Style » instead. The French musicians add spoken interjections and laughter, ending the EP on a playful, almost comedic note.
The epic journey isn’t over… it’s only just beginning.
In the near future, the band will actively start looking for musicians to finally play live, transforming into a true full-fledged group. Beyond that, now that NNIH has achieved its initial goal – releasing three EPs to showcase what the duo is capable of – they will focus on their first full-length album. That said, the two friends prefer not to reveal any details, to avoid creating false expectations. It’s in the works, but only time will tell.
In conclusion, I’d like to sincerly thank Alex and Simon for giving me nearly an entire evening to learn more about their band, and simply chat and laugh together across three different countries at the same time: Finland, France, and Canada. Hoping they’ll visit us one day, I strongly encourage you to listen to their music and support them by visiting the following sites:
Bandcamp: https://nothingnewinheaven.bandcamp.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/NothingnewinHeaven/posts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NothingNewInHeavenMETAL
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtJzfeWypLOCVF74bgue7uQ
Credits
Written by : Eddy H. Chavaudret
Photos & images: Nothing New in Heaven
Translation: Jess Peach
