▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Alene Misantropi ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Absence of Light █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-11-20 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Damnatio ad Bestias ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Alene Misantropie is a new duo from Spain, and █ █ Absence of Light is their debut album. This album █ █ is in competition with Acjetec by Sadness for best █ █ depressive black metal album of the year, although █ █ I am still holding patiently for the long-awaited █ █ Coldworld release, Autumn. Regardless, if you █ █ enjoy depressive black metal, you cannot skip █ █ Absence of Light. █ █ The album is five lengthy slabs of music, totaling █ █ to an hour of depressing music. The music ranges █ █ from slow and crushing guitar passages to █ █ heart-wrenching piano interludes. The two █ █ musicians in the band have managed to share their █ █ roles almost entirely, as they both provide █ █ guitars and piano, although there is only one █ █ vocalist. The vocals are not the most extreme I █ █ have heard from depressive black metal, but they █ █ are very good. A high pitched black metal scream █ █ that holds the notes is perfect for this kind of █ █ music. If you are looking for sobbing and pure █ █ anguish, you wonÆt find it here. Wait for the next █ █ Imber Luminis album instead. █ █ What surprised me most about this album is the █ █ quality of the guitars. A lot of depressive black █ █ metal bands seem to get away with allowing the █ █ guitars to be very plain, and for the most part █ █ that fits the music and it is fine, but Alene █ █ Misantropie knows how to write good black metal █ █ riffs. But they are very conscious of how much █ █ guitar they put into their songs, and if a █ █ particularly heavy section has gone on too long, █ █ they will allow the guitars to fade and bring in a █ █ synth or piano-driven section. ItÆs a balancing █ █ act between being heavy and being poignant and █ █ powerful. Speaking of powerful, the most █ █ gut-wrenching section for me is the vocal clip on █ █ ôConfessions of a Man in Fear (Part II)ö, which █ █ features a distraught woman ready to give up on █ █ life and a man feebly attempting to comfort her. I █ █ know a lot of people do not appreciate sound bites █ █ in music, but depressive black metal has always █ █ seemed like the perfect place for it to me. It █ █ adds an extra layer to the mood and can really █ █ drive home the desolate tone of an album. █ █ The album closes with ôSolitude, Pessimist And █ █ Self-Destructiveö a 23-minute behemoth. The song █ █ begins with cellos droning until light guitar █ █ notes replace them, plucking away slowly, which █ █ takes up the entire first six minutes and lulls █ █ the listener into a calm state. It reminds me █ █ strongly of FaunaÆs Rain. When the heavy guitars █ █ and vocals replace the ambient intro, it is clear █ █ that Alene Misantropi wants this song to be an █ █ epic opus. This is a noticeable shift in tone, and █ █ the song is closer to an atmospheric black metal █ █ piece. There are sections of layered tremolo and █ █ even a guitar solo, something that bands like █ █ Spectral Lore use to great effect. ItÆs an █ █ interesting way to close out such a depressing █ █ album, since the song is actually quite █ █ triumphant. █ █ I really like Alene MisantropiÆs Absence of Light. █ █ It hits all of the right depressive black metal █ █ notes, and some of the piano sections are truly █ █ beautiful. The closing song being such a different █ █ kind of song is a great way to end the album, as █ █ it prevents the fatigue that comes with listening █ █ to music like this. Fans of depressive black metal █ █ must give this a listen, and hey, if you arenÆt a █ █ fan yet, this is a great album to break into the █ █ genre with. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Confessions of a Man in Fear (Part I) 8:20 ░ ░ 2. Absence of Light 9:56 ░ ░ 3. Confessions of a Man in Fear (Part II) 12:32 ░ ░ 4. Golden Blood Sea 7:43 ░ ░ 5. Solitude, Pessimist and Self Destructive 23:30 ░ ░ 62:01 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░