The Pitch: More new music from Italian post-black/progressive black metal project Howling In The Fog. FFO: Enslaved, Archivist, Nightgrave
What I Like: Mixing soothing post-metal guitars and soaring melodies with the occasional blast of aggressive black metal vocals, L’Éternité Par Les Astres draws many comparisons to later career Enslaved. Focus more now than on any previous record is on folky, layered clean singing that aligns perfectly with proggy chord progressions and a backdrop of atmospheric synths. The approach recalls tracks like "As Fire Swept Clean The Earth," "Storm Son," and "Nauthir Bleeding." Acoustic guitars further round out Howling In The Fog's sound, keeping the project grounded in an earthy, organic feel that at times is also reminiscent of Opeth.
Critiques: The melodic portions can sometimes reach levels that are kind of cheesy. The end of "Formula," for example, starts to take away from the quality of the first half with its whisper vocals and corny singing. A little more balancing is in order: tracks could be a little shorter, add more in the black metal department, and take more care with the singing.
The Verdict: Overall, this is a good progression for Howling In The Fog. It's been interesting to see the project's sound evolve over the last few years, and I think it is on the brink of something truly great. L’Eternité Par Les Astres still has some issues to work through in terms of the melodic songwriting, but it's definitely still a journey worth taking.
Flight's Fav's: Point Of Value, Lunatic, Saved
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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