D.Ni.L - Boy. Inside (2018)

"I always enjoy album reviews, the main reason being that I can really dig deep into the artist and invest some time listening to something from start to finish, a rarity in today’s fast paced music world.

Firstly, I learnt that D.Ni.L was born in my hometown of Croydon (now based in York), so felt an immediate connection with him, and secondly, I discovered that this whole project is part of a larger escape from an addiction to drink and drugs, as well as homelessness. From that moment I was drawn into routing for the material to be decent and I wasn’t disappointed.
‘Boy. Inside’ is a presentation of incredibly raw ideas fitting the unsigned / underground / emerging indie rap/rock scene mixed with hard hitting subject matters but all framed with the polished delivery of an established mainstream artist. One of my favourite things about the album’s overall production and arrangement is that there aren’t many 3.30 standard fillers that don’t say anything, each track is full of intrigue, with unexpected direction changes, chord drops and intricate bridges. That would say to me that this is an artist brimming full of ideas with the strength to try throwing things together in a methodical, well considered way.

The album’s opening gambit ‘Glue’ could be introduction to D.Ni.L and what you are about to experience (and it is an experience), swiftly followed by ‘Summer Fool’ which merges huge guitar riffs, emphasized by a monstrous bass line. Its aggressive, in your face and full of mosh pit opportunities. But if you were thinking that this album was limited to that, you are well and truly mistaken. For me the clear stand out highlight of this whole piece is ‘Without You’, a sense of calm in a sea of face-melting fuzz guitar, snares and organic verses, well for the majority of it, you can’t completely be too far away from those hard hitting riffs. It’s such a stripped curveball and that says just as much about the artist as it does the whole project. Some tracks do have a lot going on which can dilute how much the listener takes in vocals wise but it’s almost as like he’s said ok everyone sit down a second, listen to what I have to say.



The title track ‘Boy Inside’ plays with core emotions and leads the charge with an accompanying video. It’s the type of track that gives space to the lyricism before really kicking off, things to say passionately before what feels like a huge chorus release.
Finding quality deep cuts on albums are very rewarding and another one worth a mention is ‘Eager Eyes’ which, in a good way, doesn’t fit the rest of the album as the composition is very Biffy Clyro / Foo Fighters / Stone Roses influenced with catchy riffs flowing effortlessly with strings and vintage keys. It’s such a good track but was so unexpected. This is an excellent thing for an album. Unpredictability.

The further you make your way through the album, the more mature it becomes. It’s almost as though the artist becomes more comfortable and confident with their skills and talent. Something you can tell from the length of the tracks, early doors we go right for the jugular, in your face, welcome to my world and  then it finds a middle ground of keeping you engaged and throwing you enough twists and turns without impacting  the overall piece.
Overall D.Ni.L feels like an artist with a million things to say and wants to do it a million different ways. ‘Boy. Inside’ is a journey that begins highly energetic and then pleasantly floats away into another direction of maturity and musicianship. The core desire to spit lyrics and rock out is there but it appears to have been elevated by intricate bridges and inclusion of softer tones. The great contradiction that only a creative could present, always looking for more. Understanding what this guy has been through, to put out a project like this is inspiring. Certainly made my evening."
-Album Review by Souterrain



Summer 2016 … at a homeless hostel in York, and with over 20 years of addiction as inspiration, D.Ni.L began his multi-instrumental solo project, and started working on his first album: “This In’t A Party” (May 2017), followed by “Suicide In Sips” (November 2017) and now the third album, just released: “Boy. Inside”
The artist’s name, D.Ni.L (pronounced denial) symbolizes how D.Ni.L started off his journey of recovery through music, with bravado and a sense of dark-glamour, in denial of the sordid reality of his life as an addict.  Fusing elements of post-rock, rap, math-rock, indie and metal – D.Ni.L’s influences are eclectic, ranging from Deftones and Slint to Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, to Plan B and Eminem.
Covering a diverse range of styles – “Boy. Inside” profiles D.Ni.L as the Industrial-Rapper, as well as D.Ni.L,  the experimental Post-Metal-Rocker. Widely varied musically, D.Ni.L’s central lyrical theme is always the same: the lived experience of being a drug addict.  Without this knowledge, the listener might be forgiven for thinking D.Ni.L expresses the age-old theme of love/hate, and relationships where he has been treated  badly, abusively even –but  this is not the case, the ‘you’ addressed in D.Ni.L’s lyrics, is often alcohol, or other drugs personified.
The second video-single to be released from the album (“Glue” was the first), the title track “Boy. Inside” explores the theme of how addiction stunts personality and growth.
Having found a new way to live in recovery, D.Ni.L has been writing prolifically and shows no signs of letting up, with a fourth album in the pipeline for release before the year is out.
The 11-track album “Boy. Inside” is available to stream on all major platforms, and/or purchased as a limited-edition CD album featuring 16-page lyric-booklet, from 15th June.  All tracks can be previewed/downloaded, and the CD can be purchased and previewed at D.Ni.L’s official website https://www.d-ni-l.com/

https://www.d-ni-l.com/