Here's some heavy and melodic emo/screamo from France that uses a tight performance with a little bit of controlled abrasiveness to create a generally effective set of songs. The vocals are straight screams mixed dead into the music, occasionally leaning towards harsh singing, while the music constantly blends heavier rhythms with more jarring chords and frantic tempos, as well as some really nice clean parts. At times the abrasive stuff gets a little "metalcore" for me (see "Mon Insomnie"), but all in all I like this. I really like the way the mix is set up as well, because not only are the tones pretty strong, but the mix is very balanced, so there's a lot of space for the pounding basslines to pop out between drums and guitar, the vocals don't lean out front and distract from the music, and so on. The distorted guitar tone is also perfect for both the heavy, basic chords and the more edgy and chaotic passages. In many ways I like the clean parts a lot better than the distorted parts because they allow the rhythm section to run wild and really carry some lush melodies, but in large part this is top notch material for this particular style of emo material. Closer "Je Me Consumme" damn near hits 10 minutes, all instrumental, with tons of droning and repetitious guitar lines, somehow remaining interesting for its duration, and actually one of the finest pieces herein. The layout is very minimal, using light blue and white in large part, with a dash of dark brown. The lyrics appear in both French and English, and seem to run together in an interesting manner that connects all of the songs and the titles - as the titles are actually portions of the lyrics as well. The actual meaning of the lyrics is a little strange, as there are hints at both personal and social issues, but it's still so abstract that you're not handed any one meaning. This label definitely seems to have a great ear for this style of music, as I've been quite pleased with what I've heard from them thus far. Recommended for those who are interested in the aforementioned aspects of what has become an overcrowded niche. Good work.
[Alchimia]
Running time - 25:49, Tracks: 7
[Notable tracks: Mon Corps, Des Cendres, Je Me Consumme]
Alchimia Records - http://alchimia.inc.free.fr
