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Lantlôs: .Neon
03/03/11 || BigBoi
Aaahhh, another project involving everyone’s favorite frenchie, Neige. What’s that, you say? “Who the fuck is Neige?” One word for clarification: Alcest. Worship or abhor the man, one can’t deny his responsibility for popularizing one of the most ludicrous, pretentious, yet somehow enjoyable cross breeds in extreme music; black metal and shoegaze. Ethereal atmospheres, catchy and accessible melodies, all wrapped in a blackened fuzz and sprinkled with blast beats. That sounds edibly delicious. Many call it gay, I call it progression.
But enough about Neige, because although he handles the vocal duties in Lantlôs, some German misanthrope going by Herbst is in control of all other musical aspects (minus drums). This includes writing. While you could probably wooe a girl’s pants off with the latest Alcest album, “.Neon” may leave you stranded alone with a full-fledged boner. Lantlôs, unlike many other obscure competitors in this small genre, emphasizes the black metal with shoegaze and post-rock influences only serving to spice up the formula. After the fade out from the first chord in opener “Minusmensch”, you might even think you were listening to some metallic take on jazz while sitting in a smoky urban lounge. Until of course you’re hit with a wash of reverb-laden distortion and ear-piercing shrieks.
Lantlôs gaits into full stride with “These Nights Were Ours” before winding down into another relaxed, loungey cut in “Pulse/Surreal”. The melodies soar with a dreamlike quality, but still retain enough abrasion to get your head nodding. “Neige de Mars”, my personal favorite, mixes intense blasting with a rocking mid-section that is sure to warrant a quick press of the repeat button. After the melancholic greatness that is the first 4 tracks, the last two pass by with barely any lasting impression. Which brings us to the one main weakness of “.Neon”: no matter how good the riffs and crescendos are, a diminutive lack of memorable hooks and lasting power cannot be denied. This explains why at roughly 40 min., the album is over before you can mentally visualize Jennifer Love Hewitt’s heaving breasts. For me, that’s borderline lightspeed.
I’m annoyed by how quickly it’s over, the sound of the snare, and sometimes even how my ears feel after listening to Neige scream for extended periods of time. All the hate aside, there is lots to love in Lantlôs’ uber-pretty take on black metal, although surprisingly less feminine than Alcest. Another quality album shunned by the masses in 2010. If black metal is your bag and you’re not afraid to indulge in bittersweet melody, give “.Neon” a spin. I can’t guarantee you’ll fully remember it though.
- Information
- Released: 2010
- Label: Prophecy Productions
- Website: www.lantlos.com
- Band
- Neige: vocals
- Herbst: guitar, bass, lyrics
- Felix Wylezik: session drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Minusmensch
- 02. These Nights Were Ours
- 03. Pulse/Surreal
- 04. Neige de Mars
- 05. Coma
- 06. Neon
