Arist:Epheles
Country:France
Type:Full-length
Release date:05/05/2011
Label:Apparitia Recordings
Format:CD
Limitation:None

Je Suis Autrefois

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
  • 1.
    La vie est ici...02:00
  • 2.
    Les murmures du silence08:05
  • 3.
    Ne meurs jamais...07:00
  • 4.
    J'ai froid dedans...03:54
  • 5.
    Je suis autrefois...13:23
  • 6.
    Les pleurs obscurs...09:00

The Review

Darkness and feelings are the first two words that comes to my mind to describe this album. “Je Suis Autrefois” (2011) is the second full length album of Epheles from France who were formed in 1997. The cover and the pictures of the band made me to think that they play a raw, cold Black Metal influenced by Immortal and generally that school. However nothing like that is happening here. In this album we’ll find dark, depressive Black Metal with chaotic parts, rhythmic grim melodies and slow passages with ambient elements.

The riffs some times are fast chaotic, other times rhythmic and they show band’s Heavy and Doom influences. The tracks are long in duration, but in my opinion there has been done a very good job in songwriting that the duration doesn’t tire the listener. The atmosphere created by the sound is what makes it to stand out. Darkness, chaos, depression and despair seize the listener from the first notes. The guitars are well played. The bass can be heard clearly but this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t fill the sound well. The drums don’t play the leading role but both in the very fast parts and in mid – tempo parts they are remarkable.

What I believe makes the difference and gives something more to the compositions is the keyboard. The keyboard’s role clearly is to make the atmosphere more intensive and it achieves perfectly. Epheles have achieved with so simple compositions in keyboards, to create a very intensive atmosphere. The vocals are either harsh, “liquid” Black Metal vocals, either a quite cry, either chant and either dark vocals filtered in studio. The vocals whereas they show much variety didn’t impressed me firstly because they seem to me ordinary, as also they can’t be heard very well. The production is clean with a rawer tendency which creates a quite good and massive sound. There are though some problems in the mix as the vocals can’t be heard clearly in every part and several times the keyboard covers the guitars.

The lyrics are in French and they deal if I’m not wrong with emissions of loss, abandonment and betrayal. There are also two instrumental tracks that they worked for me just as intros and nothing more. Overall I liked this album and I think it is quite interesting. Have a look and I believe that you won’t be disappointed.