Silhouette – Les Dires de l’Âme (Ghostly Black Metal)
Sometimes I lean towards bands too easily, perhaps, but in the case of France’s Silhouette I couldn’t help but with their mostly ghostly style. I reviewed their EP Les Retranchements when it dropped about two years ago, and it hit right in the emotional core more than most bands attempting the atmospheric route, but to take that to a full-length next? Phew, not sure I was ready for it. More importantly, were they ready for it? Did they have what it takes to move beyond? After listening through their previous work to prepare for Les Dires de l’Âme, and then doing a quick comparison, let me start by saying Silhouette have grow outside of their carapaces, exposing the spectral languish that only the French can utilize correctly.
Silhouette presents a much more graceful sound in this, their first full-length. Les Retranchements, though filled with moments of wistful beauty, tended more towards the harsh and extreme side of black metal, retaining a cold approach more fitting with the original roots of the genre. In Les Dires de l’Âme, however, at least partially due to the length, they’re able to provide more depth in sound with progressive builds of tension leading into passage shifts without losing their sense of ghostly allure. The vocal balance is further elevated this time around, with Ondine’s touching lamentations balanced effectively between the angsty shrieks of Yharnam. They never feel at odds yet are never entirely unified, which creates a more meaningful contrast for this type of black metal. Musically everything needed carried by these two, and you’ll find, without a doubt, Les Dires de l’Âme provides just this and presents a clearer direction that places another band into the front of the French scene.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Silhouette – Les Dires de l’Âme
Antiq Records
Cover Art: Lilas Dupont (Ondine)
4.8 / 5
