Year of No Light
Ausserwelt


5.0
classic

Review

by salival13 USER (1 Reviews)
July 19th, 2010 | 146 replies


Release Date: 2010 | Tracklist

Review Summary: A metalgaze suite, a sludgy post-metal romp and a blackened/doom finale all smothered in drone. If you can't find something here to like then you're not listening.

Depicted upon French post-metallers Year of No Light's latest LP Ausserwelt is a cavernous like island surrounded by a sea of black, brooding in it's seclusion and mysterious contents seemingly undiscovered in it's haze of fog and twilight. If you think that sounds interesting then you need to hear the music.

This release features no vocals, unlike Nord, instead Year of No Light use their triple guitar attack to craft a sound that resembles both post-rock and metalgaze drone far more than post-metal sludge making this album distinct from its predecessor in song writing and atmosphere.

The beginning of the album draws you in as if the small island dwelling on the cover art is inhabited by some mythological siren harpie crooning your distant sailing vessel closer to smoggy shore with her calling song. This wall of drone almost melts into melodic form when the drums are introduced and within minutes of having started you'd think you were listening to the climax of a post-rock song. As soon as you begin to feel comfortable and secure by this melodic lullaby it's crushed by thick and dense over-driven chords but gathers itself back together peaking once again before coming seemingly lost, gradually dismantling into ambient drone, and that's only the first track!
The two part “Persephone” suite continues with stand alone drumming carving a path through the hazy drone before once again colliding with sludgy turbulent riffs that intermittently break up the beautiful dual melodies like a rising tide of discord pounding against your determined curiosity before gaining control and then finally regressing as everything turns to static fuzz ending the first half of the album.

The final two tracks see a return to post-metal form present in the reluctant and lurching guitar riffs of “Hierphante” as they plow slowly through a dense atmosphere of heavily layered noise speeding up and then slowing down methodically pacing through the beautiful and just-right-amount-of-overwhelming soniscape. My only complaint is that with every track extending past the 10 minute mark “Hierphante” drags the album out a bit and can be tiring to get through if listening to the album all at once making the last track even less approachable. This is unfortunate because the final track “Abbesse” is my 2nd favorite on Ausserwelt. Dabbling in black metal it sounds like something off Nord with blastbeat drumming, evil tremolo riffs paired with ominous high pitched tones including a doomish interlude in the middle to break up the action. This technique is used on every track in one form or another and prevents any monotony while retaining the impact of the climaxes over the songs protracted lengths.

The album holds good replay value as different things are coming to your attention, popping their head out of the current depending on what your trying to listen to such as the use of two drummers, one will be playing a slow tempo on the cymbals to keep the song on beat while the other plays faster fills on the skins to keep things interesting. Often time’s one guitar will be creating ambient noise while the other two play in harmony or compliment each other playing a minimalized version of the main lead. The keyboard is kept low in the mix often imperceivably blanketing the tracks to a sublimely thick aura that allows the other instruments to magically weave in and out making it hard for you to focus on any one thing creating a sense of journey as you rely on the leads to guide you through one of the most engaging albums of the year. There’s a lot to love here for post-rock/metal fans and deserves your attention, you need to hear this.


user ratings (225)
3.9
excellent

Comments:Add a Comment 
salival13
July 19th 2010


275 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Poppin my review cherry cause this album needs more lovvve.

East Hastings
July 19th 2010


4418 Comments


This release features no vocals unlike Nord instead using their triple guitar attack to craft a sound that resembles

reads a bit awkward. try "this release features no vocals, unlike Nord. Instead, the band utilize/use their triple guitar attack to craft...."

Sowing
Moderator
July 19th 2010


44509 Comments


great first review, although i can see you've been here for a while. never heard this album but it sounds pretty interesting.

kangaroopoo
July 19th 2010


3175 Comments


Great review. 2 nitpicks:- french (needs capital F) yet in the actual French language 'français' is used in lower case. Also separate 3rd + 4th paragraphs.

I've rated it low because I'm not good with instrumental post rock/metal. If quality vocals are used (Neurosis, Isis, Cult of Luna, Rosetta), then the variety and interest escalates considerably for me anyway.

Perséphone II, however, is an excellent listen. A stirring, melodic crescendo of music.

Jash
July 19th 2010


5215 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Awesome first review man, start your follow up man! I still need to get this. Pos'd

Deviant.
Staff Reviewer
July 19th 2010


32288 Comments


Album is so good

Photon
July 19th 2010


1308 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

very good album i think i need to bump up my rating here

HenchmanOfSanta
July 19th 2010


1994 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Good first review except for the previously mentioned awkward sentence (although if you fix it, make sure you use "use" instead of "utilize")



Also, you use both of the terms "metalgaze" and "post-metal," which makes my genre naziism flare up.

SpectralArchitect
July 19th 2010


68 Comments


just started listening to Persephone I, sounds fantastic, good review aswell.

salival13
July 19th 2010


275 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Fixed some minor things, thanks for the positive input everybody

DarkNoctus
September 19th 2010


12357 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

really dig this, good review

brutebeard
September 19th 2010


1655 Comments


Mmmm metalgaze.

opblaaskonijn
October 3rd 2010


326 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Awesome album is awesome.

North0House
November 3rd 2010


1764 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

This album is freaking amazing.

DarkNoctus
November 3rd 2010


12357 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

word

ameypv
November 16th 2010


808 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

getting this asap

wyankeif1337
December 16th 2010


6739 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

blasting Persephone in my car on the freeway on a rainy day makes me feel ridiculously epic

Photon
December 16th 2010


1308 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

i would do the same if i had a car

SladetoBlack
January 8th 2011


152 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Fuck, this album is a grower.

eternium
January 8th 2011


16358 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Maybe I should listen to this more then. Didn't like it as much as Nord.



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