As Light Dies writes its new chapter.
Nine years after their previous album, the band composed of Óscar « NHT » Martín (guitar/vocals, Alien Syndrome 777, Garth Arum, Deemtee), Jesús Villalba (violin), Miguel A. Guitierrez (bass), Andy C (drums), Cristina R.Galvan (vocals), Daniel Maqueda (keyboards), Sofía M.R. (cello/vocals) et Antonio C.Herrero (fado/low whistle) announce the release of The Laniakea Architecture Volume II, their fourth album, by Darkwoods.
Falling Apart, the first track, immediately brings us face to face with raw rage and as suffocating as aggressive sounds, mixing straightforward patterns and complex parts under a wave of intriguing Black Metal influences. The track is long, and it allows the band to play on an ominous atmosphere by integrating erased or jerky elements borrowing from a devastating modern Death Metal, but some softer Prog elements are also part of the game before a very soft final drops us on Celephais, a stranger composition mixing the Spanish voice from Alberto Martínez « Noviembre Nocturno » and some airy sounds, before La Ascensión comes back to saturation and aggressiveness. Dissonance is obviously part of this rich and unusual track, which will also take up unexpected but worked Progressive patterns, coupling clean vocals and screams before giving us another break with Epocas Venideras, a short track which lets some choirs lie down on a soft melody. The Green will quickly take over, feeding the contrast between incisive riffs and soaring vocal parts embellished with airy keyboards, creating a real storm of diverse and complementary influences while remaining intense all the time, but the band will allow quietness again on Esus Agápe, a rather danceable interlude. From the Scratch will gently return to the ominous sounds without forgetting the abrasive saturation and more raw elements taken from Pagan/Black Metal roots, then softness is spreaded again with Unveiling the Final Curtain and its dark soaring tones. The track ends to let To Finish, a last long composition, use jerky rhythms, female vocals and the band’s usual elements while letting the explosive patterns surprise us one last time.
As Light Dies is not a usual band. Their style between Black Metal, Progressive roots and Avant-Garde ambiences gives The Laniakea Architecture Volume II this surprising and energetic touch all the time without denying the omnipresent quietness.
80/100