By: Thomas Gonzales
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 14/02/2020
Label: Finisterian Dead End
“Rien Ne Devait Mourir” CD//DD//LP track listing:
2. Dreams (Along The Trail)
3. Drowned Divine
4. Blood For Lavinia
5. Sur Les Sentiers De Lune
6. Que Les Lueurs Se Dispersent
The Review:
What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, then
with a crushing, moody, and atmospheric new metal album? Thanks to Angellore
and their most recent release “Rien Ne Devait Mourir”, themes of sorrow, death, love, loss,
and the beauty of nature are poignantly showcased in a crushing wave of Death
Doom.
Formed in 2007, Angellore have carved out a place amongst doom
fans the world over like a stone angel at the gates of a mausoleum. Hauntingly
beautiful, but not at the expense of heaviness, Angellore are able to slide
along the spectrum of Doom Metal, ranging from Funeral to Death Doom, then back
again. It is as much an emotional journey as it is a sonic one, and at no point
do they allow the atmosphere to lose gravity.
Vocalist Lucia returns to once again lend classical
cleans to an already diverse mix, bringing brilliant melodic sensibilities to
sweep across the heavier segments of each track. When paired with the acoustic
guitar breaks, they waltz back and forth in a macabre dance, lending a
refreshing Gothic nature to their already sorrowful sound. If you haven’t
caught on yet, the tone of the album is dark and broody, and can be appreciated
in those quiet hours of contemplation, without feeling forced or edgy.
That’s not to say the album isn’t also a banger, it’s
just more about the musical experience than creating catchy riffs, and anthems.
Opening track “A Romance of Thorns”
is a crushing twenty-minute juggernaut of a song, showcasing a little of every
technique the band has become known for. Lucia starts things off in a somber
operatic fashion, before passing the flame to vocalist and founder Walran, who
provides some of the crunchiest growls of the year (so far). Walran’s harsh
segments are rough, and rumbling, and add a weightiness that drags the whole
track down into a crashing blast of Death/Doom, before giving way to a soothing
classical guitar segment. This ebb and flow is part of what makes this album so
enjoyable as a continuous piece; each song is so dynamic, that it’s hard to
lose interest before the cadence changes once again.
Every bit as pummeling as it is graceful, “Rien
Ne Devait Mourir” is a
composition deserving of a start to finish listen. While several of the tracks
could be enjoyed as singles, it is a disservice to the artist (and yourself)
not to experience the complete vision. Skipping around changes the pacing set
out by the creators, and would cause the listener to deny themselves some of
the finer aspects of the recording. Pick up “Rien Ne Devait Mourir” today on Finisterian
Dead End Records.
“Rien Ne Devait Mourir” is
available HERE
