“And you will face the sea of darkness and all therein that may be explored." From The Book Of Eibon – Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond, 1981.
Whether or not French band Eibon are fans of Fulci’s finest cinematic moment is unknown, but I would expect so all things considered. If not it’s still a great excuse to resurrect one of my favourite movie lines to kick start this review. On the cover of ‘Entering Darkness’ we may not have ‘The Beyond’ itself but we do have scenes of landscapes that have been torn by the ravages of war and it should be no surprise that within the package the music is very much bleak, despondent and harrowing. With six tracks notching up 63 minutes between them its no quick campaign either, you are in it for the distance.
The group have thus far released just one split with Hangman’s Chair on Bones Brigade and one EP on current label Aesthetic Death; this is their first full-length. Wind and a dismal melody delivered by a lone guitar instantly conjure depressive atmosphere as we enter ‘Through The Eyes’ (perhaps of blind Emily from The Beyond), then everything thunders in thick, heavy and with a bustling weight behind it. As it builds there is a really neat melody in there with the guitars cutting a whirling refrain. Singer Georges Balafas gurgles and rasps along and the drumming drops in with a slower lead weight pummel, enforcing doom and misery in its wake. It would probably be wrong to give this lot a funeral doom tag they are more what I would describe as apocalyptic or end of days doom, I think along with bands like countrymen Mourning Dawn this describes them better. Favourite track is the title one, despite it breaking the heinous rule that I said I would lambast any band for if it were done again - namely using the infamous ‘Save Your Prayers’ sample from Exorcist III. However, like Necrophagia they have truly used it in the context of the song which is a fantastic anti-hymn to the light, with a cloying sense of palpable dread flowing through it. The thundering bass and rasping vocals beseech the darkness along with ghostly cries of the damned in the background, all making this a fantastic number. This is a metal horror song done to perfection and really nails both atmosphere and melody; more importantly Eibon manage to make it truly sound scary, something very few bands can actually achieve. As we go into ‘Convulse To Reign’ the mood is somewhat lighter as the band jam their way through things with a muscular mindset. Tools are then surprisingly dropped and we go into a light and airy acoustic section, which is very useful for the listener who is finally allowed to take a breath. Of course things smash back in a bit down the line but it’s a welcome moment of grace.
We are but halfway through in reality and this is a complex album with lots going on in it. ‘Substance’ starts off with a touch of Anathema sounding acoustic guitar before going for a windswept bass barrage leaving you feeling like you have just picked yourself off the ground after an explosion to face an angry and volatile vocal roar. It takes ages to build and has plenty of ‘substance’ to it, building to giddy peaks and slab heavy swaggers. Another well placed ‘Rite Of Exorcism’ sample brings back a nastier and angrier edge on ‘These Chains.’ This has a bit of a death gore tumult about it and I am actually reminded of Killjoy a little by the vokills! We tread slowly down the ‘Path To Oblivion;’ no doubt where all things end. It’s a twisting and turning route and one tinged with a feel of sorrow and misery. Heading towards climax we are faced a sea of weeping guitars and chugging bass and it seems like this is never going to end as vocals yet again come back refusing to die. Eventually as with all things, die it must and it does concluding over an hour of music which has been one hell of a trip.
This is certainly not an album for anyone looking for a quick fix, it takes a lot of time to both get into and indeed to play but give it that time and you will reap the rewards. I totally love the first two numbers which I felt I got to grips with a lot quicker than the others but now these too are beginning to get under my skin. I will be interested to read other reviews of this album as Eibon have put a lot of effort into this. ‘Entering Darkness’ is not an album for those that simply listen to music, but one for those who really hear it!
http://www.eibonmetal.com
http://www.myspace.com/eibonmetal
http://www.aestheticdeath.com
