Lachaise - In a State of Oblivion
CD Info
2012
Revalve Records
9 Tracks
English Lyrics
Continuing my discovery of new (to me, at least) Italian bands, I came across the quartet Lachaise recently via Facebook, once again showing the power of advertising on social networking. Signed to Revalve Records, a page I follow, this Gothic band - hailing from the most Gothicy place on the planet, Venice - draws its name, according to its Facebook page, from a Parisian cemetery called Père Lachaise. How appropriate, because this is some seriously dark music played by a group whose official photos can be described as funereal.
But is In a State of Oblivion it any good? The short answer is yes, this is great Gothic metal, actually. In fact, it’s some of the best Gothic metal I’ve come across lately. However, if you don’t like dark and, let’s just be honest, depressing music and lyrics, this might not be your bag. Luckily, I’m a little ray of sunshine who adores dark and depressing music and lyrics that temper my eternal sparkle a bit, so this was exactly my bag.
The song titles alone should indicate we are in for some bleak material: "When She Decided to Die," "The Grief", and "My Secret Tragedy" are big indicators that we’re heading into the realm of the moody and melancholy. On this 9-track CD we have seven songs that are sung, and two instrumentals.
The first instrumental is track one, "Tuska", and it’s a piano piece that defines sombre. It perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the album. Track two, "Awaking" starts out with an eerie synth intro, followed by the ominous booming of drums, and then gets into some thick, heavy riffing. Then in comes vocalist Xenia Nyx, belting out:
Many places I’ve seen in my world
Many faces, many ways
The light of day can save my heart
From the danger of the dark
Track three, "When She Decided to Die" starts out again with a moody piano intro, something that seems to be a trademark in Lachaise’s sound. And their sound is quite varied when you listen to the album as a whole. There are some bare bones songs with simpler rock-ish grooves, then there are more grandiose pieces with evocative symphonic segments that contrast with the simplicity of the piano melodies in other songs. I liked this variety in sound very much; it shows the band’s versatility without making them an other cliché of the genre with overdone symphonics that can overpower the other instruments. Backing vocals are kept simple, too, with Xenia providing a few harmonies and some belting in the background. There are no fussy choirs, either, something also overdone in the genre, and I kinda liked that about it too, even though I do enjoy fussy choirs.
Xenia’s voice is really something else, too. She has range, power, presence, and a suitably melancholy timbre, even if her English is heavily accented at times. Generally, she sings in her lower contralto range, but once in a while she pulls off some surprisingly throat-catching high stuff, like at the end of "My Secret Tragedy" and "Frost," my favourite track on the album.
"Frost" shows off the band’s compositional talents perfectly. I love this song. Sung in distinct sections, each verse builds upon the last with new layers of sound each time, crescendoing to a chilling climax.
The first single off the album, "Whispering Voice", is one of those bare bones songs I was talking about, and it’s beauty is in its simplicity. The lyrics are simple, the composition is effectively striking with some easy going riffs, some more eerie synths, a strong but uncomplicated guitar solo, all layered in with some basic orchestral arrangements. Do not confuse "basic" and "simple" with "boring" or anything like that; "Whispering Voice" pulls off a hollowness, a deep wounded feeling to the soul, that is very emotionally potent.
"Imperial Outtro", the final track, is the second instrumental, a rushing, almost militaristic-sounding piece that reminds me of the dramatic march music my dad used to listen to when I was a kid. It was an interesting way to end the journey.
This is Lachaise’s second album; I have not heard their debut. But "In a State of Oblivion" is a very competent, very relevant addition to the genre of Gothic metal. If you’re a fan of the Gothicy stuff, this is a must-listen CD. The music is evocative, catchy, emotional, atmospheric, and very powerful. It will give you goosebumps, rest assured.
9 / 10
