If you have followed the French Metal band Novelist through the years, it is clear there have been many changes. Formerly featuring Matteo Gelsomino on lead vocals, when he left in 2020 after three albums, even the band themselves were uncertain what the future would hold.
Determined to keep making music as Novelist, they kept an open mind in their new vocalist search and went on to recruit Tobias Rische. With Rische on for their 2022 Déjà Vu, hopes were that the band had found a good fit for the future, but within a year, Rische and Novelists amicably parted ways.
A factor that could be highly discouraging for any band that had worked for years developing their sound and following, once more, Novelists found themselves blowing in the winds of change. In many cases, what could be a final dagger to the heart, amazingly, Novelists (Guitarist Florestan Durand, Drummer Amael Duran, Bassist Nicolas Delestrade, and Guitarist Pierre Danel) not only survived but have thrived with a new leading lady, Camille Contreras.
Joining Novelists in September 2023, Contreras put in a lot of hard work, and soon, chemistry began to develop. Eager to show what this new beginning of Novelists would sound like, in May 2024, the Okapi EP arrived with Contreras completely mesmerizing on vocals. As Novelists had done in the past, the question remained: What would a full-length album sound like?
Something that left many burning with curiosity, those answers finally emerged on May 16, 2025, with the CODA album. Released via ACKOR Music, the new album marks a new era for Novelists, which plunges headfirst into a sound that might not please some fans. A decision they bravely made at first when they teamed with Rische, this time, they take it a step further and alter many dynamics of their makeup.
Ultimately, realizing they cannot please everyone, those who enter this new chapter of the band with open ears will understand that change is not always a band thing. As a matter of fact, this new configuration of Novelists is quite exciting. Still retaining their Progressive Metal and Metalcore foundation, the energy exerted by Contreras is infectious and impossible to ignore. Here, you have a lead woman with highly emotional, clean vocals matched by some intense and throaty screams.
Joining with the core of Novelists to write these songs, you can easily hear that CODA is a collaborative effort rather than a bunch of songs put in front of Contreras merely to sing along to. With all that in mind, early singles like “CODA” and “All For Nothing” indicated that this would be heavy yet melodic and dynamic. Then, when “Say My Name” popped up in March, the mood went to an entirely different level. Incredibly catchy and powerful, “Say My Name” is nothing less than outstanding, but joined with others like “In Heaven,” “Sleepless Nights,” and “CRC,” the album as a whole completely grabs your attention.
Overall, the best way to describe Novelists at this stage is a band that took the best parts of themselves before vocalist changes, melted them down into one pot, and recast them into a highly compelling new figure of art. An excellent modern Metal record with depth and feeling, Cryptic Rock gives CODA 4 out of 5 stars.
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