Artefact - Son Of Solstice
Blackmetal these days has evolved a lot since the beginning of its existence. Introduced by the British band [b]Venom[/b], the style found a base amongst fans of extreme metal who carried it away into higher atmospheres. There are bands who follow the more oldschool way such as [b]Gorgoroth[/b], [b]Mayhem[/b] and [b]Marduk[/b], but bands with a distinctive style like [b]Cradle Of Filth[/b] and [b]Dimmu Borgir[/b] also managed to reach a lot of fans.
Although most well-known blackmetal bands come from norway or England, doesn't automatically mean that one shouldn't look at places where bands such as those mentioned aren't likely to be found.
I looked.
I found.
With their roots, mainly consisting of heavy-, thrash- and blackmetal, entreched in the French underground, [b]Artefact[/b] emerged...
The acoustic intro to [i]Menhir[/i], the first song on the album, is a nice kick-off to a powerful album. The vocals vary a lot, going from deathmetal grunts to blackmetal cries and back.
Where some bands lose power when using melodic passages, [b]Artefact[/b] remains the same. Melodic, technical riffs come crashing by with devastating speed or vast sensitivity, which makes the whole very diverse.
There are not only your standard 'blast-away-to-hell' and 'relax-in-dark-atmosphere' riffs on [i]Son Of Solstice[/i], but also a wide variety of experimental passages which come suddenly out of nothing. The innovative style that evolves from this mix captivates all aspects of blackmetal.
with their progressive and mostly instrumental music (where most blackmetalbands have piano intermezzos, [i]Codex[/i] is the acoustic guitarintermezzo on this album), [b]Artefact[/b] is not for everybody. But if you are willing to open your mind, this album is a worthy addition to your collection.
[b]Absolute favorite song: Onslaught[/b]
[b]Line-Up:[/b]
Guillaume: guitar
Pascal: guitar
Sebopathe: vocals
Nico: drums
Alexis: bass
[b]Tracklist:[/b]
1. Menhir
2. Antares - Son Of Solstice
3. Oracle
4. Onslaught
5. Omen
6. Codex
7. Allegiance
8. Towers Of Equinox
88/1001Details Self-produced
Released on Tuesday Nov 30th, -0001
Progressive Blackmetal
Writer @Bastian Blackrain on Monday Sep 20th, 2004
Tags: #Artefact
Tracklisting
Line up