New Releases

Alcest "Les Voyages De L'ame" released 6th January 2012 on Prophecy Productions

Yesterday i downloaded my first two albums of 2012, Alcest's new release, "Les Voyages De L'âme" and the debut offering by Ordo Obsidium "Orbis Tertius" which was released a couple of months back, but which was still collecting favourable reviews, both online and in print so i believed it was definetly worth a listen, now don't get me wrong i do like what Alcest do, in fact i like it a lot, but i did kind of expect what the album would sound like, beautifully crafted songs, yet somewhat sad and mournful, that unmistakeable guitar sound, those dreamy but melancholy vocals, punctuated by the occasional raw shriek, building up into that wall of atmospheric noise that only Alcest can do, especially evident on the final track "Summer's Glory" but i much prefer the sound created by Ordo Obsidium and to be fair, its certainly also an atmospheric record, mixing sorrowful black metal with a depressive funeral doom feel which is by no means a bad thing and its certainly one of the most outstanding opening statements i've heard in a long time by any band (the only other debut album i can think of which had the same impact on me would be W. A. I. L.'s "Wisdom Through Agony Into Illumination And Lunacy", which musically is also in a similar vein), the opening and closing tracks are epic soundscapes, definitely a soundtrack for the cold dark dreary winter evenings and nights.

Ordo Obsidium "Orbis Tertius" released 10th October 2011 on Eisenwald Tonschmiede

Also Recommend:

So Hideous, My Love... - "To Clasp A Fallen Wish With Broken Fingers" released 12th April 2011 on Play The Assassin Records

Heretoir - "Heretoir" released Feb 25th 2011 on Northern Silence Productions

Deafheaven - "Roads To Judah" released 26th April 2011 on Deathwish Inc.

Weakling - "Dead As Dreams" released 2000 on tUMULt