Noktiis Eterna
Les Larmes Du Tyran
4
Synopsis:
Finally, an ambient black metal band from France that sucks.
Review:
Comprised of sole member Sacrystia, Noktiis Eterna play a Burzum inspired form of dreary, depressive, doomy black metal, but rather than mimic the genre’s other great one man projects, Noktiis Eterna gives Fear of Eternity and Striborg a run for their money.
Originally self released in 2005, grainy guitars, echo-y, pain filled rasps, lo-fi synths and a smattering of pianos, the elements are all here for the genre, but it's all done in a typically basement recording and delivery. The intended bleak emotion, while indeed somber, is still rather flat and dull, rather than purely despondent. The keys add an unintentional air of cheesiness to the guitars rather then flock the music in a depressive haze.
The purely French spoken lyrics sound heavily modulated and come across like Summoning through a megaphone, and the plodding music just never conveys the sense of angst and woe that Sacrystia’s peers imbue. Of course, the programmed drums add an out of place mechanical atmosphere to the intended forest and night aura Sacrystia is going for, and amid the nine tracks, there is not a single emotion inducing or atmosphere imbuing moment (just the intro “Introduction: Les traces du passé” or interludes “Interlude premier: Marche Nocturne” and “Interlude second: Dernier Regard Nocturne”-bit because they are simple acoustic instrumental numbers), just forgetful, amateurish strings of droning notes and random piano tinkling or the occasional forced robot blast beat amid the empty, plodding buzz and wail.
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