_{By Madeline Harris}

Picture this: reality, as we know it, has crumbled. Corruption, oppression, and hatred have dismantled society, leaving only the skeletal framework of a world gone haywire. In this dystopia, music has become a war cry and the fuel that feeds the fire of revolt. Need a soundtrack heavy enough to match your rage? Enter NEKS’s debut album, Point of No Return. 

NEKS is the product of five skilled musicians who, in their collective back pocket, store treasure troves of genre-traversing experience and well-deserved credibility. Not only do the five of them share troves of experience, but also thousands of miles. Part of their creative process involves gathering from across the globe. Each member is established in their own lane of the hardcore/post-rock/punk/metal intersection, and the origins of NEKS are traced back to Brooklyn about 15 years ago.

“When I moved out to New York,” guitarist Matt Mascarenas explains, “I saw an ad Gary listed and I ended up joining Daytrader.” It was there that Mascarenas met Gary Cioni, of Crime in Stereo, and Derrick Flanagin of Capsule. Daytrader was active from 2010-2012, and their raw punk influence seems to be present in the undertones of present-day NEKS’s sound. Daytrader made the rounds, and still boasts substantial streams online, but wasn’t “quite the right fit,” Mascarenas explains. Matt notes that they all made efforts to stay connected – even going on friends trips together – and that there was always talk about starting a band sometime down the line. Drummer Derrick Flanagin moved to Sivella, Spain, after Daytrader split. He is still in the US regularly, however, to record and play with his several bands.

In the decade that followed the end of Daytrader, the intention to someday start another band always hovered in the back of their minds. But, like most great adventures in life, the hardest part is getting started. At the end of 2022, Matt decided the wait was over, sent a text to the rest of what would become NEKS, and the process began. 

“We first all got together in January of 2023 to bounce ideas and structure everything there,” says Mascarenas. They met up at Sound Acres studio, owned and operated by Cioni in southern New Jersey. “Derrick did all the drums, and brought a really heavy feel to the sound. He had all the drums written from the beginning.”

By this point, Mascarenas and his long-time friend Wes Johnson (owner and founder of Archive Recordings in Salt Lake City) had already been experimenting and demoing on their own, so there was solid ground to build upon when the larger collaboration began. Both Mascarenas and Johnson play guitar in the band and talked a bit about their background and sound:

“I was brought up in the hardcore world and on the more aggressive side of music,” Mascarenas says. He compares his time in Daytrader to his work with NEKS, and notes that “it’s fun to go back to heavy again now that we’re adults.” He currently plays guitar in the SLC-based metal band RILE. Johnson refers to Russian Circles, Red Sparrows, and Isis as stylistic influences in his playing. This engagement with intricate and experimental atmospheres is reflected in his work with I Hear Sirens, a local multidimensional post-hardcore group.

“Gary kind of just got stuck on vocals,” Mascarenas explains, “and we really didn’t know what he sounded like until we started recording.” Cioni’s voice gives the illusion of belonging to a seasoned hardcore singer. It leans punk in some tracks and more screamo-adjacent in others. Their two singles that dropped this August seem to present this duality perfectly. “The Land of Plenty,” while heavily distorted, is more melodic and reflects the influence of punk vocals and lyrics. Cioni’s vocals in “The Rubicon,” on the other hand, are angry, guttural, and swarm around the listener. “Gary [vocally] just turned out to be an angry man,” Mascarenas jokes. 

“It’s crazy, ‘cause in the two years it took to come out, we met for only about three weeks total,” Mascarenas notes. Bassist Robert Cheeseman, also of Daytrader, recorded in Denver; the guitars were recorded in Salt Lake; and everything was then sent back to Cioni at Sound Acres – where it all began. The album was mastered by Grammy-nominated sound engineer Mike Kalajian.

With a creative process so unconventional, the group had to play it by ear and make time for recording among life’s numerous responsibilities. Due to the distance between them, not to mention their several other bands and projects, Point of No Return’s creation was neither seamless nor quick. Nevertheless, the finished project is remarkably cohesive and all the more impressive considering the conditions it endured. As a product of their far-and-wide span, it is versatile and well-rounded.

In terms of future plans, they intend to keep the energy going: “Right now, we go out to the east coast every once in a while, play a couple shows, repeat the process. I think some of us were pretty surprised about how the album turned out but we’re all pretty excited about moving forward.”

“We know the routine now,” Wes adds, “We understand the process and how it sounds.” The album itself indicates the beginning of the end. It’s apocalyptic, in both subject matter and presence, and boils over with cut-throat vocals and incandescent instrumentals. It seems entirely appropriate for Point of No Return to be running through your head while the world around you goes up in flames. This is what happens when you harness rage and use it tastefully. The album is a bouquet of anger and defiance, wrapped with a melodic bow. 

Keep up-to-date on NEKS’s whereabouts and plans by following them on instagram. Listen to “The Land of Plenty” below!