Now I’ve Done It – An lll Guest

Metalcatto

I needed a change for a while, so I picked an album that’s going to be out in a while. When I first read about Now I’ve Done It’s promo, I was puzzled. It claimed to be a wild, strange album, but it also featured band members from Lör, one of the few Power Metal bands I can still enjoy these days. An Ill Guest was either going to be an amazing experience or suck harder than a curry with no spices (and if you felt attacked, then you probably have poor taste!). It promised to be something profound, yet the artwork looked pretty disturbing. Was this going to be a schizophrenic trip? Let’s find out!

The only way I can describe Guest is as if The Dillinger Escape Plan sounded a little less strung out but still weirdly cheerful. It’s as if they spent a day jamming with Diablo Swing Orchestra. The result is extreme but quirky, and despite the obvious craft required to pull off this level of performance, the band doesn’t take itself too seriously. It often feels like the musicians just said: “So, what was that? No idea, but it sounded good, right? Yes!” Albums inspired by Avant-Garde Metal and Dissodeath usually end up being more depressing than your dating life, but somehow NIDI managed to make it all enjoyable.

“Party Metal” might sound offensive to some, but that’s basically what this is—except it’s a party where everyone is on meth and swinging knives around. It’ll be fun once emergency services arrive on the scene. That’s the vibe here: theatrical yet catchy vocals, sudden mood swings, degenerate orchestral arrangements—it’s the freaking circus out of The Melancholy of Resistance! And yes, there’s still plenty of violent Death Metal. So don’t panic—this isn’t too far removed from the norm, but it’s still impressively unhinged. I’m all for wacky albums, but I do have some constructive feedback for the band.

When your stalker jumps you

I believe NIDI doesn’t need anything extra going on in the background besides the music itself. The added elements aren’t completely out of place or boring, but the music already speaks loudly enough. I’m also convinced that this almost joyful atmosphere is going to rub some people the wrong way. But remember—this isn’t genuine happiness, it’s more of an ecstatic euphoria. It’s so weird that many listeners won’t be able to power through it. Also, the first half of the album can be daunting due to the technicality and track length, but come on, sometimes it’s worth working a little harder for your art.

I wasn’t expecting much from Guest—maybe some confusion and a “fine, that was okay!”—but in the end, I was impressed by the sheer level of creativity and madness in this release. All of that without ever losing its sense of entertainment. Normally, I hate that kind of over-the-top “entertainment,” but sometimes an exception can be made when the music shows such remarkable skill. That’s exactly what we’ve got here, and hopefully this review makes you impatient and jealous that I got to listen to Guest so early, hehe!

Label: Independent (Get them a label, now!)

Release date: October 17, 2025

Website: https://nowivedoneit.bandcamp.com/album/an-ill-guest

Country: USA

Score: 4.0/5.0 (I need to stop giving high scores soon)