It was in 2020, in the middle of the Covid period, that the very promising first album was released 'ECLYPTIC: Wake of Shadows' from ILLUMISHADE', project created by two members of Eluveitie', singer 'Fabienne Erni' and guitarist 'Jonas Wolf'. Almost four years later, their second album 'Another Side Of You' is now available on all streaming platforms, the first single 'HYMN' from it already dating back a year and the group having now spent a cap by signing this latest baby to 'Napalm Records'. Regarding the theme, I quote the band: "It is an odyssey about the many facets of human emotion but also about the challenges we all face in this ever-changing world. 'Another Side of You' is about anchoring yourself in reality, while letting the music transport you to unknown places.". Let's talk about music: in the world of symphonic metal, many bands present fairly linear albums with a certain resemblance between each composition which is not at all the case for ILLUMISHADE' because, listening to the latter opus, it would be very simplistic to label them only in this style of music. There is obviously a heavy approach but they draw their influences from different styles, ranging from pop to metal with some forays into progressive.
We are welcomed by the short instrumental 'Enter The Void', orchestrated by keyboardist 'Mirjam Skal' who is also a film music composer, in an atmospheric atmosphere which gradually gains momentum to launch the first track 'ELEGY' which is a mid-tempo supported by muscular saturated guitar riffs and which benefits from beautiful alternations of rhythm and intensity (see the video above), then, 'ENEMY' continues in this atmosphere well-tempered on a catchy tempo with a catchy chorus (see the video here). In a more conventional style of melodic metal, 'In The Darkness' is nonetheless very successful with a new chorus that gets into your head immediately and which highlights 'Jonas Wolf' in the second part with a remarkable guitar solo. Change of scenery with the following two compositions which are much less energetic with, first of all, 'Cloudreader' which has a little pop side, the guitar riffs being much less vigorous (see the video here), then, 'Here We are' continues in an alternation between calm sections and other more intense ones and offers us a new unifying chorus (see the video here ). Follows 'CYCLONE' which is the longest track of the album with a very original progressive construction which brings another facet of the group to deliver numerous changes of very original atmosphere, the vocal sections being framed by remarkable instrumental sections and the slow and powerful finale bringing an impressive force. Make way for the ballad 'Fairytale' which is a model of the genre and which shows that ILLUMISHADE' also has the talent to offer us moments filled with emotion, then, after the pianistic instrumental interlude 'The Horizon Awaits' continuing this moment of serenity which gradually gains momentum, 'HYMN' moves away from the strong riffs of metal for a composition between pop and rock with a new catchy melody (see the video here). We stay in this atmosphere with 'TWILY' but this time bathed in electronic sounds, navigating between poppy sections and other rougher sections with saturated guitar riffs which brings a great originality to this title, then, 'Riptide' is another beautiful rhythmic composition between rock and metal with remarkable vocal arrangements (see the video here). We are coming to the end of our beautiful musical journey and there are two magnificent ballads which close the album with, first of all, 'Humminbird', which begins as a piano/voice duet with very beautiful celestial choirs and which, little by little , gains momentum, then, the keyboardist of 'Epica', 'Coen Janssen', comes to accompany 'Fabienne Erni' in a very beautiful way on 'Verleabt', the singer offering us a particularly moving vocal performance, even managing to charm us in German, the language which is not known to be particularly well suited to this style of stripped-down ballad.
In summary, 'ILLUMISHADE' offers us a second relatively dense studio recording because it includes 14 compositions for almost an hour of listening, taking us on a journey through different styles ranging from pop to metal, which considerably diversifies the together and which, for my part, is a guarantee of quality but which, on the other side of the coin, necessarily requires us to linger on it to fully tame it... | |
