The skies are darkening for Locus Noir.
Inspired by 90s Gothic Metal, the band led by Ben DMN (vocals, Sybreed), Claire Genoud (guitar), Ales (bass), and Ben Marmier (drums) has signed with Listenable Records for their debut album, Shadow Sun.
We start with Walpurgisnacht 1996, an introductory sample mixing vocals and keyboards for a horrific effect followed by a soft rhythm, then Shadow Sun, the eponymous title track, sends out its first notes, deeply rooted in the band’s Old School and ethereal roots, creating a heady and soaring veil. There are some more energetic passages that make you want to bang your head, while Cemetery Youth offers in company of Ben Christo (Sisters of Mercy) very melodious vaporous touches while weaving a much calmer approach, magnified by the keyboards at times. Post-Rock accents are more than present on the choruses, then we move on to rising anxiety with A Dismal Romance, a track with an assumed heaviness contrasted by omnipresent energy, creating this catchy disparity, then She Haunts the Night takes over with a similar liveliness that will have no trouble bringing people together live. Things calm down again on Thicker Than Darkness Itself, a fairly gentle composition guided by pure melancholy and its intoxicating form, very mysterious but appealing, reminiscent of the German scene with its fairly gentle but very expressive vocals. There is new energy with In Despair We Trust, a track with a strangely motivating touch but in which we feel all the duality and fragility, with an effective instrumental cliché for the chorus, but we return to more aggressive sounds with Death, That Elusive Mistress, which will have us headbanging and dancing until morning. The energy continues until Hollow considerably darkens the sound, offering a controlled and interesting doom vibe that the band uses to accentuate the plaintive tones while remaining within its own tonality. Full Moon Therianthropy reconnects with quintessential Old School Gothic energy, but the band has more than one trick up its sleeve and uses jerky patterns, ultimately leading to the long and majestic Reburial, a final composition that doesn’t shy away from prolonging its riffs and creating a haunting atmosphere, even if it makes it quite suffocating towards the end.
Instead of stopping there, the band has opted for a danceable touch with Marry the Night, the first of two bonus tracks and a cover of Lady Gaga, which they adapt surprisingly well to their dark universe, retaining the original vibe while making it heavier, adopting post-rock accents before a more raw final. Then the album closes with the intriguing How Harsh is the Light of Dawn, a slower and even more subdued track that allows us to emerge from this universe after this last dark breath.
The name Locus Noir is still mysterious to some, but for others it’s a sure-fire favorite! Halfway between Gothic Metal and basement party music, Shadow Sun will be the talk of the scene before seeing the light of day on stage.
75/100