Endeavors is the new album by the band Nest, and it shows a vast improvement on the group’s earliest work. It’s a solo project from John Jarvis, where he plays the instruments, sings, and puts together the programmed drums.
Jarvis previously played in metal bands (and I played music with him too) and he has chops. Having caught Nest at Maryland Deathfest XIX with an updated live lineup that also plays well, I can say that on stage is where the band shines with its lean, tight playing that fits this style of grooving, riffing, punctuated music.
Live drummer Joe Pequeno said that he and live bassist Terrell Clark had only been in the band a short time before playing MDF. “John has some crazy, fucked up timing in a lot of that shit,” Pequeno said via Messenger. “Apparently it’s ‘in the pocket,’ according to all my drummer friends that’s seen us. And they said they’ve never seen me play in the pocket before. [laughs] It’s awesome, though.”
I’d be interested in hearing the new lineup playing on future Nest recordings, if that’s in the cards. Still, there’s a couple of brief soundscapes on the album and along with that, Jarvis creates a mood. The programmed drums on Endeavors adds a bit of an industrial feel in places.
Endeavors is out now on Housecore Records on CD, vinyl, and Bandcamp. Prior to the release, Nest put out a video for the track “What’s the Issue” (which features a previous lineup). Check it out below.
