electro-metal / gothic metal
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Electro-metal, for years this has been an irreconcilable combination of musical styles. Luckily for the scene, in recent decades metal has become less reticent as far as electronics are concerned. Now, beats and blips can be a regular part of the music, creating an ever widening universe where almost anything is possible. This is good news for a band like Elyose.
Elyose is a French quartet that use the term 'electro-metal' to describe their sound. In fact, this is actually only partially correct. There's lot more going on and it's quite safe to say that we're dealing with a very decent gothic metal band in the vein of bands like After Forever and Epica. It's no surprise that Tarja (former Nightwish) has been a big influence for this band. Vocalist Justine has a similar vocal reach and lines and the music they bring can indeed be compared to those bands.
After a nice intro, we're immediately treated to powerful riffs and these awesome vocals. Here and there some death growls are also incorporated but not very often. The music itself reminds me of bands like Samael, mainly because of the excellent combination of metal riffs and atmospheric electronics. 'L'Animal-aimé' is a perfect example of this combination and at times also comes up with something that reminds me of Otep.
That being said, yes, all the vocals are in French, which somehow gives the music a certain mysterious and romantic edge. When Justine whispers, I immediately think 'Enigma' although this has extremely little to do with that German electronic project. This is high quality rock music that will please a lot of dark metal and goth rock fans. In fact, a song like 'Pour Un Écu' is perfect for any dark dance floor.
'De Guerre Lasse' and 'Plus qu'Humain' are probably my favourite tracks on this album. The latter incorporates these death growls over a mid-tempo song, making this some excellent material for a decent headbanging session. Yet, it's mainly the vocal lines that I love on these songs and on most others. They have a certain sing-along character and get stuck in your head. Maybe if I ever get the chance to see Elyose live, I'll try to sing along in French.
'Chronocide', halfway through the album is actually the first song in which the electronics take the form of dance beats and melodies, for a short while. For the most part however, these electronics are atmosphere-enhancing elements which sound a lot more like keyboards than computers. In 'Rédemption' they take the form of bombastic, almost apocalyptical sounds, perfectly aligning themselves with the guitars, and again I think about Samael. 'Droit Dans Les Yeux' brings us some more beats, and at this moment I've actually started dancing a bit.
So, to conclude, if you're a fan of gothic metal of female fronted metal, this really is something for you. These are excellent musicians who know a think or two about songwriting, supporting a talented singer. The result is a very strong, and a bit sexy, metal album that has the power to raise and turn a lot of heads in their direction.
Serge
Elyose is a French quartet that use the term 'electro-metal' to describe their sound. In fact, this is actually only partially correct. There's lot more going on and it's quite safe to say that we're dealing with a very decent gothic metal band in the vein of bands like After Forever and Epica. It's no surprise that Tarja (former Nightwish) has been a big influence for this band. Vocalist Justine has a similar vocal reach and lines and the music they bring can indeed be compared to those bands.
After a nice intro, we're immediately treated to powerful riffs and these awesome vocals. Here and there some death growls are also incorporated but not very often. The music itself reminds me of bands like Samael, mainly because of the excellent combination of metal riffs and atmospheric electronics. 'L'Animal-aimé' is a perfect example of this combination and at times also comes up with something that reminds me of Otep.
That being said, yes, all the vocals are in French, which somehow gives the music a certain mysterious and romantic edge. When Justine whispers, I immediately think 'Enigma' although this has extremely little to do with that German electronic project. This is high quality rock music that will please a lot of dark metal and goth rock fans. In fact, a song like 'Pour Un Écu' is perfect for any dark dance floor.
'De Guerre Lasse' and 'Plus qu'Humain' are probably my favourite tracks on this album. The latter incorporates these death growls over a mid-tempo song, making this some excellent material for a decent headbanging session. Yet, it's mainly the vocal lines that I love on these songs and on most others. They have a certain sing-along character and get stuck in your head. Maybe if I ever get the chance to see Elyose live, I'll try to sing along in French.
'Chronocide', halfway through the album is actually the first song in which the electronics take the form of dance beats and melodies, for a short while. For the most part however, these electronics are atmosphere-enhancing elements which sound a lot more like keyboards than computers. In 'Rédemption' they take the form of bombastic, almost apocalyptical sounds, perfectly aligning themselves with the guitars, and again I think about Samael. 'Droit Dans Les Yeux' brings us some more beats, and at this moment I've actually started dancing a bit.
So, to conclude, if you're a fan of gothic metal of female fronted metal, this really is something for you. These are excellent musicians who know a think or two about songwriting, supporting a talented singer. The result is a very strong, and a bit sexy, metal album that has the power to raise and turn a lot of heads in their direction.
Serge