Review Summary: "Why inspiration is important"
Noir was released in 2006. It was the follow up to their debut which caused quite a stir in the underground music scene for being remarkably similar to their Swedish colleagues from Cult Of Luna. With this album, Callisto hasn’t forgotten their depressingly heavy guitars and slow growls, which are scattered across the eight tracks along with that usual Post-Metal atmospheric sound that we all know well.
The main difference between Callisto and other bands of the same genre lies in the use of synths and some sweet-sounding riffs. The synths add texture and a fresh sound to the band. I find the atmosphere they tend to create is almost euphoric when used correctly, rarely getting tedious. It peaks when they opt for slower sections, which act as a welcome break from the more advancing tones and textures the guitars take up whenever the pace quickens.
If one were to go from the highs to the lows of this album, Pathos would be the mid-point. It basically sums up all their qualities with the melodies continuously flowing and the thick wall of sound from the guitars. Anyhow, there are few spine chilling moments and the music isn’t as complex as it may seem. Backwoods is the only song that I would classify as filler, because it doesn’t add anything to the record, pretty much like Dawn Patrol in Megadeth’s Rust In Peace. However, after hearing this many times I would say this album is very far from perfect.
The music sounds good but doesn’t feel rewarding and the musicianship isn’t overly impressive. The vocals are forgettable just as the lyrics and the drumming, but the biggest flaw here is probably the lack of memorable parts, since this album has no highlights. This is a record that manages to be different among other Post-metal releases, but at the same time it isn’t innovative at all, mainly because Callisto doesn’t feel inspired most of the time. Noir could have been a remarkable album if the songs had more speed changes, varied riffs and a higher level of distortion, as well as more creative drumming and audible bass throughout.
Overall, the songs are fairly dynamic, shifting from beautiful clean guitars to sludgy aggression. The lyrics are christian in theme yet quite apologetic and remorseful of what they believe, which sounds just as boring as it really is. Perhaps we could put this down to solid songwriting and well thought out song structures, but if you are looking for mountainously elegant Post-Metal, you should look elsewhere, since this doesn’t have much replay value unless you’re a fan of the band.
Recommended Tracks:
- All of them are equally good, except Backwoods.
