It is in this universe, which is often fascinating, The Great Old Ones qu'oeuvre, French combo from Bordeaux and founded in 2011, which you can explore in more detail in the interview.
A brief introduction if you wish Benjamin Guerry (vocals, guitar), Jeff Grimal (vocals, guitar), Xavier Godard (guitar), Sébastien Lalanne (bass) and Leo Isnard (drums).
"Al Azif" is the first album of the group, it revolves around six titles for just over fifty-two minutes of music.
The first hearing, when applied to an album "that has many things to say," is important to form an initial opinion, but it is impossible to rely only after a chronic one, there too many details to dissect and you can hang (or not) and reverse (or not) at the following.
Let's start with this first listen and feelings arising therefrom:
- First finding, producing, entrusted to Cyril Gachet (who works with Year of No Light, which I think is another particularly talented group), is perfectly in line with the prevailing style. It is quality, balanced and managed without difficulty to highlight the qualities of the work,
- Compositions are long, they vary greatly moods, establish stakeholder atmospheres, dark, the tempi are varied, the pieces contain lightning acceleration and atmospheric beaches. In short, diversity is undeniable and prohibits linearity, anyway, is unimaginable when practicing this music!
- Keyboards have a fundamental role in the development of atmospheres ... we shall return later,
- Interpretation is brilliant, clear singing is banned, extreme vocals are impeccable, maturity appears undeniable, we are at the heart of what is done best in style!
Well, that's my opinion after one listen.
Soon other plays were conducted, details, contrasts are legion in the music TGOO.
Let me be immediately specified: the slap received at the first listening was amplified during the following. Yes, TGOO has the build, you can hear it, it feels and, frankly impressive.
Let us well that our Frenchies are early in their career and that it seems (to me this is however a little more than printing) they are one of the leaders of the genre ... yes, no less!
Let me not to indulge in the game of influences, to name the groups with which a parallel. TGOO is a combo enjoying a strong personality within the genre, it has nothing to envy anyone, and it is in this context that I decided to immerse myself quickly and without conditions, any query whether in this world that was literally stuck.
When starting the album with "Al Azif", we said we might discover a group of Funeral Doom. The beginning is dark indeed, overwhelming ... then this is the first acceleration to which we are entitled throughout the album. The extreme voice is perfectly mixed, the music is powerful and intense, with slowdowns, accelerations, installation of air passages look great (with whispered vocals and psychedelic elements).
At this stage of the column, I'll make an aside that seems important to me: I have made myself during this first listen, and I do not think the only one !! This beautiful melody based keyboards slicks offers us an almost symphonic approach film in all cases fascinating ... except there are no keyboards in music TGOO !! And yes, it is in fact the work of the three guitarists in training! We then imagine the work, considerable, made on the establishment of the role of each guitar as well as the fundamental, the setting sound, which induces the feeling of having particularly enjoyable, and on the whole of " Al Azif, "a music rich, dense, magnified by keyboards tablecloths ... sorry, guitars. Dear readers, I think this is a huge "plus" to assign TGOO!
Now resume during the chronic. What made me crack, from the first listen on TGOO is probably this facility to attract us then hold us prisoners of this music, with sumptuous arrangements diverse and varied atmospheric, melodic trappings that we maintain a kind of welfare dependency, we prohibiting disconnection of the universe TGOO ... Yes, and that's only after a title !!
And later you say, it's still huge? Come on, do not stop there way and continue our trip to accurately answer this question. "Visions of R'lyehon" continue on exactly the same basis, always with these remarkable environments and this great diversity. But beware, if the similarities are obvious in theory, it does not hold true in practice, the melodic frame is different. The degree of fascination for this dark universe, mysterious, that characterizes the music of training is regular, inalienable. The instrumental dexterity of musicians, multiple keys melodic aspects, ubiquitous, have the gift to delight the senses ...
"Jonas" follows, welcoming us with the sound of the sea, surf the waves, soft, soothing ... and it is an imposing early, heavy, slow following, directing us to quickly rather trippy sounds. The slowness seems to be the order of the day on this compo, the melody is still upscale, boredom sets in ever ... then this is the must-acceleration as usual the right place at the right time to lead the listener on another site ... and then another, thanks to a passage much hovering and downright acoustics, calm, cool ... then we leave on a frenzied tempo that the not remain long, the pace is incredibly addictive, intoxicating ... and then there are always those melodies that so easily ensnare us, and that purpose which, on short time, offers three great forces TGOO: the mid- tempo delivering grandiose moods of considerable power, atmospheric who offers us a space of tranquility, calmness and acceleration which completes us and fill us direct us to the next title, stunned by this group that is already in the courtyard of the Great!
"Rue d'Auseil" starts well melancholic way, it makes us upset from the start, as we are only in the first of the compo ... that atmosphere is still alive then, at the discretion of heavy passages, beautifully assisted by charismatic vocals and slight prog buttons. Then the tempo quickens, leading us inevitably toward an atmospheric passage for us to catch our breath, with a little solo nice. The end of the song will again be varied, thus denying any conformism ... a composition with The Great Old Ones is exciting from the first to the last second!
"The Truth" appeared, plunging us into an airy atmosphere, dark. The tempo is slow, the atmosphere is still as captivating. This time, it will take about five minutes for the tempo accelerates, but is it a problem? Absolutely not, everything is done to maintain focus no matter the pace or mood, nothing to worry about with this group, the drop is excluded! For the rest of the song, mainly instrumental, bass is ahead, "power" rhymes with "atmospheric". It's finally on a short passage putting the battery to the honor he concludes.
For nearly three minutes, "My Love for the Stars (Fhtagn Cthulhu)", the ultimate composition present on "Al Azif" us again sail in waters surrounding populated areas, to calm atmospheres decorated with guitars air and it is on a fast tempo but it continues, and this is valid also for the entire album, despite the extreme vocals, the power released, I never use the word " violence, "the melodic aspects inherent in the various environments is a fundamental component of music in" Al Azif ". The song also released these passages always so successful at slower pace, and other gliding, borrowing a palpable melancholy.
Here, the journey is over, but you know what's great when finished listening to such a wonder? Well it is to listen again, again and again, to start this trip so exciting! "Al Azif" is an undeniable master stroke, starting the recording debut of The Great Old Ones. This masterful debut album is phenomenal borrowing maturity of continual inspiration, interpretation outstanding and the whole is enhanced by impeccable production that allows us to appreciate fully the album.
You will understand, "Al Azif" should definitely be in your discography, I recommend so warmly to order or buy it right out!
For my part, the order is placed!
Al Azif Tracklist:
01. Al Azif
02. Visions Of R'lyeh
03. Jonas
04. Rue d'Auseil
05. The Truth
06. My Love For the Stars (Cthulhu Fhtagn)
Find this column (and many others) on the webzine auxportesdumetal.com
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