AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): ERYN NON DAE. — “ABANDON OF THE SELF”

 

(Today, Debemur Morti Productions releases the new album by the French band Eryn Non Dae., and to help spread the word we’re presenting a full stream of the album along with the following review by Andy Synn.)

A quick google search for Eryn Non Dae. will likely tell you two things.

One, that the band apparently don’t deserve an entry on Metal Archives, despite having two (now three) extremely impressive albums under their collective belt.

And, two, that the most common genre tag applied to their music is that most nebulous of all descriptors, the dreaded “Post Metal”.

But while I can’t do anything about the former (MA’s arcane, and somewhat consistent, criteria for inclusion are beyond my control), I can definitely do something to correct – or at least, amend – the latter.

 

 

Because while END. certainly portray many of the aspects which people generally associate with the ill-defined “Post Metal” tag, to dismiss them as “just” another Post Metal band would be a mistake.

The truth is that the group’s enigmatic blend of apocalyptic atmosphere and caustic catharsis has just as much in common with the distorted, post-human visions of Godflesh, Meshuggah, and Nero di Marte as it does with Neurosis, Isis, and their ilk… though even this doesn’t fully capture the surprising breadth and subtle depths of the band’s sound.

By way of example, tracks like the ominous “Omni” and its wilfully capricious companion “Eclipse” – two of the album’s many highlights – serve to demonstrate the quintet’s distinct auditory aesthetic in all its eccentric, angular glory, where exotic embellishments of brooding ambience and proggy pseudo-melody paint each track with a variety of moody tones and twisted textures, all while a pulsating procession of rippling, hypnotic rhythms, clanging, clashing chords, and skittering Mathcore riffs engage in a constant push and pull of tension and release.

And though this synaesthetic fusion of styles certainly doesn’t make for a simple or straightforward listening experience, demanding as it does a certain amount of effort and commitment on the part of the listener, Abandon of the Self ultimately delivers a more than ample return on your investment, providing that you’re willing (and able) to give it the time and attention which it so richly deserves.

 

Abandon of Self was recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band’s long-time collaborator Mobo, and the artwork was created by the band’s bassist Mickaël André.

The album is available for preorder now in different formats from DMP through the links below:

PRE-ORDER:
Gatefold CD : http://bit.ly/dmp0156CD
Gatefold 2×12″ LP : http://bit.ly/dmp0156LP
Digital : http://bit.ly/dmp0156DL

ERYN NON DAE.:
https://www.erynnondae.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ERYNNONDAEofficial/