Insolvency releases its second album.
Entitled Illusional Gates, it continues in the way of the sound developed by Pierre Challouet (bass/vocals), Valentin Gondouin (guitar/vocals), Bruno BlackStard (guitar/backing vocals) and Prosper Duffours (drums) for several years.
The album begins with Blindness and its quickly hooking tones which strike while melting with airy samples. Effective riffs and vocals, screamed or clean, are fastly heady while they make us want to nod with modern influences, while Torn Away Inside unveils some haunting complexity. The band still injects its raw effectiveness and aggressiveness, creating a contrast before welcoming Ryan Kirby (Fit For A King) for the intense The Endless Maze, a catchy composition. The energy spreaded by this straightforward composition is hooking, then the dissonant break drives us to Mirage and its softness, caught by modern sonorities. Illusional Gates, the eponymous song, comes next with a burning rage supported by majestic samples, then Last Call comes to offer as energetic as motivating riffs while welcoming some slightly more complex harmonics. Vocals also offer intense parts, while Another Fate unveils some appeasing quietness the band skillfully melts to its vivid roots. We continue with Stranger World and its Metalcore roots marked by soaring influences, then with Smother the Candle, on which the band welcomes CJ McMahon (Thy Art Is Murder). Raw rage can express itself on this song, strengthened by the guest’s howlings, then more quiet parts come to appease the song, before Oversight comes next with very rumbling elements, its piercing leads and its heavy moshpart. Afterlight announces the end of the album with a short airy instrumental, then Fade and Flow closes the album with Hardcore influences melted to the band’s modern and sometimes melodic sound, which perfectly composes its universe.
With this album, Insolvency affirms its place on the Metalcore scene. Between modernity and some Old School roots, the band unveils with Illusional Gates a will to melt rage, melodies and motivating rhythmics. A universe to be developed.
75/100