Amesoeurs
Amesoeurs

The black combined with the purest '90s shoegaze, perhaps joined with post-punk and dark wave inserts, is certainly one of the most positive developments of recent years. These elements found their fullest expression in Alcest by Neige (the front-man of the now defunct project Amesoeurs) and in Les Discrets, a French band unknown to most (on which I plan to write another review in the fairly near future). But we are indeed forgetting about one of the most prominent bands in the current metal scene, which, unfortunately, has already been sidelined.

This Amesoeurs is none other than the first and last (unfortunately) full-length of Neige's other black/shoegaze project, under the name Amesoeurs. An album that, as mentioned, has its roots in the eighties dark wave, combined with post-punk, early '90s shoegaze, and naturally with a substantial dose of black metal (far more than there has been in Neige's work with Alcest). The lineup is completed by Audrey, singer and pianist on the album, who delivers excellent vocal performances (even if not terribly difficult) that are the foundation of the album's beauty, Winterhalter (an excellent drummer in my opinion) and Fursy, guitarist and bassist much like Neige.

The album begins with the instrumental "Gas In Veins": it starts with a wonderful bass line, to which an arpeggiated guitar insert is added, perfectly in sync with it; after a typically shoegaze section with distorted guitar and bass to the fore, there is a black metal outburst starting three-quarters into the track, which drags on until the end of the piece. The melancholic atmosphere of the second track, "Les Ruches Malades" (played in a still primitive way in the previous 2006 EP "Ruines Humaines," a work that had already hinted at remarkable things for the French band), is certainly a daughter of those sounds that began to emerge in the early '80s: arpeggio, explosion of the distorted guitar, Audrey's delicate and almost "pop" voice makes this track one of the most enjoyable of the work. "Heurt" is certainly one of the more distinctly black tracks of the album, at least in the first half, despite the vocals being clean.

"Recuillement", although sonically it leans more toward the shoegaze of My Bloody Valentine than black metal, is the first in which Neige's scream appears, which is not at its best shape in my opinion. "Faux Semblants" is perhaps one of the most uninspired episodes of the album; not because it's a bad song, but because I don't consider it fitting to the spirit of the album (at times it seems like a Cranberries track, whom I like by the way). After "Trouble", a delicate albeit perhaps unnecessary (the album's pace was already slow, there was no need to slow it down further in my opinion) instrumental piano ballad, it's time for "I XII V XIX XV V XXI XVIII XIX - IX XIX - IV V I IV" (the title is unclear to me), a black metal outburst that surely raises the album's tension again, featuring Neige and his scream prominently compared to what was shown in "Recuillement". "Video Girl" is another track that owes much to My Bloody Valentine's Shields and Butcher, with a perfect pop melody overwhelmed by the distorted guitar.

"La Reine Trayeuse" is a rather surprising track for the album's standards; it begins with one of the usual pop melodies drawn by Audrey's voice, when suddenly at the end comes her outburst: a black metal restart and the same singer's scream (terrible in my opinion, but at least it's a twist that lifts the tension a bit throughout the listening).

It's time for the title track: "Amesoeur" is a great track (one of those that probably sticks easily in your head): sustained rhythm (rhythm reminiscent of The Cure) and excellent clean vocal performance by the French singer.

The album's closing is entrusted to "Au Crepuscule De Nos Reves", a predominantly black piece with Neige and his scream at the forefront, dictating the track's pace, which ends with a surprising electronic part.

In conclusion, I find Neige's performance inadequate (too little presence in the vocals, even though his hand in the composition is evident), and I also notice the presence of a couple of pointless tracks (or at least poorly developed).

An album that nonetheless excited metal enthusiasts (it is indeed an excellent release, for sure), but which is certainly less than what those who had listened to the 2006 EP were expecting.

Rating 3.5