It's already been more than 10 years since the first album 'Echoes Of Perversion' from Marseille's 'Whispering Tales' was released, and I remember that in 2012, I really liked the 'Ad Abolendam' EP, which offered catchy symphonic metal but didn't have a production worthy of their talent at the time. A second LP followed in 2014, 'Mechanism' which showed a nice evolution (among other things a much more careful production) and took us on a novel written by bassist 'Stéphane Castelli' and which had been the subject of a teaser setting the scene for the story taking place in the 1920s (see here). And then, the album being announced as the first part of a trilogy, we were therefore impatiently awaiting the sequel and it was only 8 years later that 'A Matter of Time' came to the fore.
In the continuity of the previous opus, we find this symphonic metal with melodic lines that we immediately appropriate and the formation has evolved somewhat since 'Gérald Coissard' and the new drummer and 'Nicola Caruana' is now the main singer, 'Lucy Freckles' having stepped back but, fortunately for all fans of the Frenchwoman, is still present on two compositions. 'The Spark' welcomes us in a catchy atmosphere with a first chorus that goes straight into your head and with a good alternation between the sung and instrumental parts. 'Heap Of Ashes' and 'Copper Wire' continue on this path, with for the first a beautiful rhythmic alternation in the middle of the title with a remarkable guitar solo, 'Julien Tournoud', from 'Amon Sethis', providing his vocal contribution to this title, and for the second a new catchy melody. We find the delicious 'Lucy Freckles' in 'On the Edge' which is a magnificent power ballad in which the Frenchwoman charms us with her delicate vocals, the piano and string accompaniment further increasing the emotion of this very beautiful title. Follows 'Lazarus' (see video here) which brings a pinch of progressive with its instrumental introduction bringing a new catchy title with again the participation of 'Julien Tournoud', then, 'The Quantum Clock' accelerates the tempo for a fast title, the double pedal being of put but always well balanced because several more moderate sections make it possible to soften here and there the frenetic rhythm, in particular with a central instrumental part highlighting the ticking of a clock which makes it one of the centerpieces of the album . With 'Embers', we are again in the company of 'Lucy Freckles' who offers us a remarkable vocal performance in a catchy title with a catchy chorus which comes to be grafted directly into the head and which ends with an offbeat but very endearing section musette ball animated by an accordion and a violin. The end of the album continues to offer us long developments of more than 8 minutes with first of all, the very beautiful 'Falling Dominos' in which 'Nicolas Caruana' shows all his vocal talent in a much more moderate register at the beginning , and which is gradually gaining momentum and again presents a progressive face with alternations of different tempos and intensities with a very beautiful guitar solo in the second part of 'Jérémie Chabod', then, 'Zugzwang' (see video here) ends the album in style with catchy symphonic metal that offers a memorable melody and remarkable instrumental arrangements, the piano break followed by the guitar solo and the instrumental section in the central part bringing a beautiful originality.
In summary, the French of 'Whispering Tales', after long years of absence, return to the front of the symphonic metal scene by offering us a very beautiful album which should certainly be well received by all fans. of the band and, beyond, by an audience that loves accessible metal thanks to catchy melodic lines from the first listen... | |
