In 3 years, the singer 'Fabienne Erni' has come a long way because, after being integrated into the 'Eluveitie' formation in 2017, the Swiss, who had to develop an end of study project at the music school of Zurich, worked on a concept around her musical interests, musicals and fantasy music and, with the help of her best friend 'Tamara Schön', 'ILLUMISHADE' was born with this debut album 'ECLYPTIC: Wake of Shadows' released in May 2020 and which is quite remarkable for a first studio recording. 'Jonas Wolf', guitarist of 'Eluveitie', 'Mirjam Schnedl' on keyboards, 'Yannick Urbanczik' on bass and 'Marc Friedrich' on drums complete the line-up and the writing of the lyrics has been entrusted to the Canadian 'Chrisy Berryman'.
First of all, it would be reductive to limit it to an nth symphonic metal project because this opus goes beyond a series of classic titles that can be found in most albums of this style and, through its 13 tracks, we navigate between different atmospheres starting with short instrumentals which are five in number and which, interspersed between the sung compositions, are divided between serenity and energy : first of all, the cinematic 'Passage Through the Clouds' introduces the album, then 'The Farewell Arcades' mixes the strength of guitar riffs with the softness of the strings, and 'Into the Maelstrom' brings an atmospheric side, then the epic 'Beyond the Obsidian Veil' unfolds an energy with abundant instrumental arrangements and finally, 'Glowing Tides' which ends the album calmly with some vocalizes from Fabienne. As for the sung compositions, they are divided more or less equally into 2 categories with first of all powerful and energetic titles with the short mid-tempo 'The Calling Winds' which makes us discover the vocal talent of 'Fabienne Erni' , then, 'Tales of Times' which hardens the tone with a catchy track sprinkled with growls of the singer of Eluveitie', 'Chrigel Glanzmann', who has been invied, and with 'Fabienne Erni's singing which in some places has the intonations of 'Charlotte Wesselz' of 'Delain'. The suite offers us a new energetic title 'Crystal Silence' with yet another memorable melody, then the ballad break arrives with a succession of two masterful titles, first of all the melancholic 'What Have I Become' with its simple melody but quite simply beautiful to add to the best metal ballads then 'Rise' which joins the previous one with another memorable melody. The other compositions are divided between 'Muse of Unknown Forces' which recalls certain atmospheres of 'Within Temptation', a new ballad 'Golden Lands', imbued with a beautiful emotion and finally the single 'World's End' placed at the end of the album with a last addictive melody and a remarkable last performance by 'Fabienne Erni'.
In summary, with this first album and like the Germans of 'MoonSun' , the Swiss of 'ILLUMISHADE', with a young front woman with a vocal talent undeniable, enter directly through the main door of the symphonic metal formations, bringing a little fresh air in this style with a perfect balance between energy and serenity which destines 'ECLYPTIC: Wake of Shadows' to a fairly large audience who like to navigate between rock and metal, whether melodic or symphonic... | |
