1. Glory of Youth
2. Can't See Me
3. Impossible Colours
4. Hands to Glass
5. Every Look Burns
Stargazers Triste L'Hiver are finally back with another dynamic album! This one man band hailing from Southwest Michigan in the U.S. has certainly come on a long journey creating some alluring yet diverse post black metal albums i.e. Once Again and New Illusions. Well fans of those albums will be surprised that the band continues on with that legacy, however, new elements such as a more experimental, darkwave, electronic vibe is embedded with the mix. Do not be alarmed. This is actually a good thing. Sometimes change does an album justice and the new album Glory or Youth proves it. Surely this is a stand alone album as a whole when compared to the previous albums.
The title tracks brings back the traditional post black sound the band is well known for but also adding some acoustics and some electronic drumming to the mix. Glory of Youth runs smoothly with aggressive yet somber guitar melodics all while being accompanied with some light and dreamy atmosphere. I think the electronics portrayed on this track makes the sound even better and stronger. Vocals are rough but powerful and characterizes with sound effectively. Certainly a nice atmospheric opener. Can't See Me, takes a turn and you might be surprised to even hear a track of this caliber on this album. I know it caught me by surprise. Catchy, dreamy, almost gothic-y in a darkwave fashion. Female vox are introduced but it's not what you think. (Actually I just found out from emails that this is a falsetto voice. My mistake. It certainly tricked me.) I actually am not sure how to explain it but it goes good with the music. I really like how the sound interacts electronically and then transcends into a nice melancholic frenzy when the guitars come in. It is a nice transformation of sorts. This is definitely a track that will get stuck in your head for days too.
Impossible Colours continues with the electronic drum-ish vibe in a darkwave fashion yet again mingling in distorted and mournful riffs that the band is known for. Blackened vox takes control intertwining in the mix. Pretty much your standard Triste L'Hiver tracks but with some electronic drumming added to the mix. Not as diverse as Can't See Me but still good. Hands of Glass is another experimental track with some dreamy and gazey synths carried on by some melodics. This is a very dreamy track and it might awe you into a plethora of relaxing emotions. Another good but short instrumental track. Finally the albums ends with Every Look Burns. Atmospheric and dreamy keys/synths take their place in this upbeat and rock-ish piece of instrumental music. A nice way to end this album...
Glory of Youth, a nice change of sound for the Triste L'Hiver camp. Not sure what encompassed this change of direction but it's a good one to start with. It really doesn't sound like any other band out there and that is a good thing especially in the post black scene where it seems like everyone pretty much sounds the same. Not this band! Triste L'Hiver is moving on to new heights. Let's hope they keep it up and continue creating even more stellar sounds to mend our cloudy minds. You can stream or download Glory of Youth on the bandcamp page. I urge you now to go check it out.
Rating:4.5/5
Review by Freddy Garcia
No comments:
Post a Comment