H.O.P.E.
Reason And Divine

Something has happened.

Yes, something must have happened to push me to listen to an album like this and fully appreciate it. And even though I can't fully appreciate avant-garde black, except for some flashes in certain tracks by Dodheimsgard, this album, this diamond immersed in so much coal, honestly, I love it.

Yes, because we're not talking about a simple black metal album, or any other genre, but I'm talking about and reviewing an album that is incredible. "Reason & Divine" brings my mind back to earth and catapults it out of the atmosphere to make me realize how one single mind can be so brilliant and eclectic. Nikolas Alkariis practically creates the band by himself, which takes the name H.O.P.E., an acronym for Human or Pain Existence, entering the avant-garde pantheon with the sacred monsters I mentioned before, like Dodheimsgard and Manes.

But it doesn't stop there, because "Reason and Divine" represents a peak in composition that has no equal so far: creating soundscapes that combine raw black with melodic falsetto openings worthy of the best Muse, enriched with gothic shades and dashes of electronics here and there, the album can incredibly overshadow another masterpiece, 666 International, by fellow Dodheimsgard.

But it would be a shame to weigh two bands so stylistically distant against each other. This is evident from the opener "An ordinary morning", endowed with rare melancholic charge, where it seems like hearing the voice of the equally eclectic Bellamy from Muse. But soon, we find ourselves on a stylistic planet that is not at all parallel or similar, as the parts adorned with raw black metal quickly and often take over. With openings and atmospheric changes worthy of the best prog group, we move from the final atmospheres and acoustic chords of the first track to the keyboard intro of "Chateau Noir". Synths and other electronic contraptions lead to rhythmic and vocal violence explosions. A suffering scream yells, supported by guitars halfway between frenzied riffing and a sound slightly backgrounded by electronics. The romantic and sentimental explosion breaks around the 5-minute mark of the track, with an ethereal finale endowed with a very rare melodic charge. "My own interior way" takes the rhythms on a fairly standard rhythmic base, but the Muse influences become apparent, and very much. The mess, which from the premise might be evident, turns into a little jewel of black and melody. Among falsettos, piano arpeggios (similar to the harmonic progressions of Rachmaninov), and various samples, the track slips, leaving wounds in the soul and a bloody taste in the mouth.

Notable is also the strong contrast in the vision of the album: the booklet plays with the contrasts of white and blood red indeed. Accompanied to a finale that at times reminds me of Dark Tranquillity, the intro of "My second self" continues to play with electronics and samples before the agonizing screams in scream and melodic falsettos in an ascending emotional climax. We are still, in fact, only at the fourth track, and the album already opens the doors of my mind and the infinite musical paths that can be taken today. An example is "Abstinthe", which continues with oddity and aggressiveness, the combination of violence and electronic experimentation. "Racine Mortelle" takes back the earthly situation and the guitars become dominant again in both the rhythmic and melodic sections, thanks to small, well-chosen, and melodically powerful solo sections. Clean and scream vocal parts now alternate, creating a harrowing and decadent emotional duel, where the guitar melodies return victorious until the finale that divinely falls into the electronics, strongly present in this album. The duel between guitar melodies and vocal despair resumes with "A light despair", a breathtaking journey into the musical hysteria of this genius French mind, which is Nikolas Alkariis. The instrumental "HOPE" concludes, a grand final chapter to such beauty. Containing every element found in this album, it encapsulates the sense of completeness and fulfillment of the album.

"Reason & Divine" is an album for everyone: for those who love today's melodic rock, for those who love black not too "true", for those who love extreme and well-executed experiments. If you manage to listen to this album with an open mind, then you can fully appreciate it. An album that will fill your days and your listens.

"Reason and Divine", never was a title more fitting.