Eryn Non Dae.-Abandon Of The Self

Self-Release/Indepepednet
2018

French metal band Eryn Non Dae., formed in 2001 as END and currently comprised of Mathieu Nogues (vocals), Franck Quintin (guitars), Yann Servanin (guitars), Mickaël André (bass), and Julien Rufié (drums), makes their long-awaited return with "Abandon Of The Self". It was back in mid-December of 2013 when I first covered this dark & experimental metal band (link). . It's taken them close to five and a half years to release a follow-up to "Meliora". Released on March 9th, 2018, "Abandon Of The Self" is the group's third full-length album and their most haunting release to date! Once again mixing in elements of post-rock, depressive rock, sludge rock (mostly in regards to the gnarly guitar riffs!), post-metal, modern metal, and extreme metal, Eryn None Dae. (now coming at you with an extra period at the end!) strikes back at a scene that has dared to forget about them! Heavy, harsh, and as abrasive as ever(!), this bleak and extremely-atmospheric album never loses it's focus...even as it comes crashing towards you like a runaway train possessed by the devil himself!! Comprised of seven wicked wasteland songs, with the shortest one ("Eclipse") clocking in at 4:31 and the longest one ("Halo") running past the 10 minute mark!, "Abandon Of The Self" is like every nightmare I have ever had-only 1,000 times as EXTREME!! As someone who doesn't mind the zombie themes, demonic appearances, and slasher filled moments that constitute an avenge night's rest for me*, that apt-description comes with crocked smile and a pair of devil horns throw high up in the air!! Available on compact disc, vinyl, as a digital download, this 7-track recording is the absolute best studio release that this French outfit has ever released! Dark & dreary, angry, and filled to the tilt with apocalyptic-like rage, "Abandon Of The Self" gets a 10 out of 10 grade and comes with my highest recommendations!!


*I take several medications that are known to cause vivid dreams. At this point in time I have grown so accustomed to the extreme nightmares that it more surprising when I don't have one!

Help Eryn Non Dae.'s "Meliora" receive a vinyl release!

Does everyone Remember French metal band Eryn Non Dae.? They were last covered here at HMTM back in December of 2013 ( http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/12/french-metal-friday-eryn-non-dae_13.html). In that article (a part of my French Metal Friday series) I touched upon their spectacular 2012 studio-album, "Meliora" (http://erynnondae.bandcamp.com/album/meliora). As it turns out Mobo of ConKrete Studio (Gorod, Silent Opera, Otargos) is launching a crowd funding campaign in order to release "Meliora" on vinyl and they need every one's help! Please head over to here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/eryn-non-dae-s-meliora-on-vinyl for more information about the project and on behalf of Eryn Non Dae.I want to thank everyone in advance for their kind consideration and support!

Ethersens-Your Wandering Ghost

Scarlet Records
2014

Ethersens, whose base of operations is Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées (France), were recommended to me by Eryn Non Dae's guitarist/backing vocalist Franck Quintin. Featuring Eryn Non Dae's Mickaël André (playing guitar here instead of bass as he does in Eryn None Dae), who first laid the groundwork for what would become Ethersens back in 2002 along with fellow guitarist/long-time friend Johan Bourrut, and with the eight-track, concept-album "Your Wandering Ghost" serving as the group's sophomore release, the band's purported sound was appealing to me from the word go! "Think about Katatonia, Alice In Chains, Opeth or Pain Of Salvation" shared Franck Quintin and, while there are definitely a few other elements to this French five-pieces sound then just those few above mentioned acts, he's fairly spot on! While the band itself lists the likes of Porcupine Tree, Karnivool, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains I'd suggest tossing in some of the dark metal appeal of a band like Tool (which, admittedly, has more to do with the group's newest lead vocalist then anything else) and maybe even a little bit of Neurosis when you're talking about the current musical direction of this band. But, other then those two suggestions, Franck is right as that's kind of what you're in for when you experience a band like Ethersens. And yes, "Your Wandering Ghost", is one of those releases where it's not so much a case where you simply sit back and listen to the recording. Instead you need to devote time alone so that you can fully tune yourself  into what Ethersens is all about. As the songs unfold you'll find that you're being hit by so much at once, what with sweeping prog. rock movements giving way to aggressive, post-grunge riffs (Mickaël André and Johan Bourrut are a lethal duo in that regard!), so "Your Wandering Ghost" requires devotion and, yes, maybe even repeated listens, in order to fully embrace everything that this record has to offer! And make no mistake about it, "Your Wandering Ghost" has plenty to offer when it comes to delivering intense and interesting music to the listener! Whether you're a fan of progressive metal, dark metal or alternative metal there's just so much to appreciate when it comes to "Your Wandering Ghost". It's true that at times the album can be abrasive and dark, which I find all the more appealing personally, but there are also moments of absolute clarity. The way in which this French act can transform what would otherwise be pressing, near-doom like material, into deeper, dream-like waves of sound cannot be left hidden from the masses. This is music that may appear heavy and oppressive, but it manages to transcend such boundaries and, as such, deserves a wider audience. Perhapes with time that will happen. It's pretty clear that this French outfit plans to be in the game for a long time to come. You can hear as much given the obvious thought process that went into this concept album. Granted, they've already been in the game for awhile now when you step back and look at the bigger picture. With other bands like Eryn Non Dae, Zubrowska, Talian, Disphoria and Eradykate taking time away from this project (in years past) it's not hard to see why Ethersens are just now getting around to releasing this, their sophomore output. And yet knowing that this is a side-project of sorts kind of makes it all the more impressive (from the view-point of how exceptional a release like this one is in it's construction and execution) when you think about it. With their first record, 2008's "Ordinary Days" (also on Scarlet Records), receiving high praise (among other things it was voted "Album Of The Month" by Rock Hard Italy) it's true that the band had a lot to live-up to when it came to this release. Especially with a new vocalist and a new bassist in tow. Sure, Ethersens also released a two-track digital demo ("Same Goodbye") in 2012, but this is it output-wise. And we all known that a band's second full-length album is often viewed as the make it or break point. Vocals are now handled by the more-then-capable Laurent Mora (ex-Agrion Splendens) and, as hinted at in the Tool reference bit above, his addition allows a band like this the ability to deliver dark material that can be on one hand frightening and yet also alluring! Laurent Mora, whose voice does bring to mind Maynard James Keenan at times (although there is also a haunting vibe to his voice that also seems to channel the spirit of the late great Layne Staley!), replaces Stephan "Steph" (who incidentally sang lead vocals on "Ordinary Days") with bassist Remy Boyer being the other new player added to this highly-talented lot. Longtime drummer Stéphane Nestiri (Talian, ex-Eradykate) rounds things out in Ethersens and in regards to "Your Wandering Ghost", which I'm now listening to for the third time in less then two days(!), fans should have no worries of the dreaded sophomore-slump! While it's true that Ethersens, who recorded this concept album with Julien Soula at Antistatic Studios, might be a hard act to describe on paper (seeing as they layer their music with all these different elements and what not) they are still one act that I'm happy to have been connected with. Just like Mickaël André's other outfit Eryn Non Dae they offer up thought-provoking, complex, layered music that is built out of a collective desire to play heavy metal that actual challenges the listener to become involved with what he or she is hearing. To that end I found this eight-track release rather refreshing and I most certainly recommend it!

French Metal Friday: Eryn Non Dae

Toulouse, France-based Eryn Non Dae was not a band that I was familiar with before receiving a pleasant email from the group's guitarist/backing vocalist Franck Quintin. Still, after listening to the group's latest release (and second album overall) "Meliora", which was released in 2012 on M&O Music, I found myself wanting to know about this ambitious five-piece act. Formed back in 2001, END (as they were known at the time) sounds as if it was seeking out a different path in life from the very beginning. While it appears as if there was music released under the END moniker (with one of their songs, "Beyond The Senses", ending up on the June 2005 Rock Hard sampler) the more "modern" version of this complex and compelling act came about in 2009. As Eryn Non Dae the group released their (well-received) first album "Hydra Lernaia" in 2009 on Metal Blade Records. Reportedly it ended up being nominated "album of the year" several times over and the band itself was nominated as "best newcomer band". As I listen to the almost hour-long, 7-track "Meliora" as I type this it's easy enough to see how a band like this could warrant such compliments. On the one hand "Meliora" is an excellent example of the (overall) appealing nature of extreme metal. Eryn Non Dae, which (besides Franck Quintin) also features vocalist Mathieu Nogues, guitarist Yann Servanin, bassist Mickael André and drummer Julien Rufié, are devilishly effective at unleashing severely aggressive, no-holds-barred, metal that is both bleak and unnerving. Musically this is as heavy as if gets with sludge-dredged guitars mixing it up with hostile bass riffs and the unrelenting sound of drums behind demolished in a manor that leaves little to the imagination as far as the intent of this doom and gloom, bone-pulverizing French metal act. But on the other hand this is the work of a avant-garde band that carefully assembles all of these different textures so that their music will features layers upon layers intertwined within each grand passage! Feedback gives way to adventurous waves of atmospheric post-rock all while the band savagely tears apart technical death metal! It's quite likely the most experiment extreme metal album that I've heard in some time as it can go from flashing images of Gojira brightly in your eyes to inspiring you to dust off those well-loved and fashionably warn-out Pink Floyd LPs that you still keep hidden away in your closet! And all that can be had for the taking in just one song! While it can be a wee bit of a head-rush the first time around "Meliora" is still a inspiring listen from a band that I will be keeping a keen eye out for! The French metal scene has already proven many times over to be just as compelling and intriguing as they come and with bands like this making albums like "Meliora" I can't imagine that will stop anytime soon!