Klonosphere Records

Djiin, Meandering Soul (Klonosphere Records 2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

French psychedelic rock band Djiin are back with their sophomore studio album, Meandering Soul.

Chloé Panhaleux (vocals, electric harp), Allan Guyomard (drums), Tom Penaguin (guitar), and Charlélie Pailhes (bass) are Djiin. Their musical style is a fusion of progressive rock and stoner/psychedelic music. That sounds like a clash more than a fusion, but Djiin make it work with impressive fluidity. Meandering Soul is the band’s third release, after a live album and The Freak (2019).

There are six tracks on the new album. “Black Circus” begins cautiously, transforming into a casual vamp before rolling out the dooming slog. Vocalist Chloé Panhaleux layers her voice in a dizzying array of low and high, serious and languid. When she pauses, a prog segment kicks in, then tags her back in. It is like two different plays are going on at the same time on opposite sides of the stage and the spotlight is shifting back and forth. This pliant uncertainly leads smoothly into “Void.” The song is more of an evolution in and between its constituent parts than as the previous track, until the screaming near the end, that is. “Red Desert” has a heavier sound, a meatier vibe. And it has a louder feeling to it, a more out-loud intentionality.

The back half begins with a dark, sly smile – “Warmth of Death.” It takes about five minutes for the song to unwind, and it really cuts loose after that. “White Valley” is my favorite of the set for its guitars, the vocal treatment, and the melodious discord it enjoins. “Waxdoll” is the final piece, and it breaks the gate at a cracking pace. The middle is exploratory, and the off ramp is ethereal. There are so many different moving parts on this album that it is difficult to keep track of them. But then there is no need to, is there. Just listen and take it as it comes. Recommended.

Meandering Soul is out now from Klonosphere Records. Touch the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://djiin.bandcamp.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/djiin.theband/

Klonosphere Records, https://www.klonosphere.com/

Djiin, Meandering Soul (Klonosphere Records 2021)

Exanimis, Marionnettiste (Klonosphere Records 2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

New French musical project Exanimis issue their first long-player, Marionnettiste.

The story is that the band “was created by former students of the Music Academy International, who all shared a passion for extreme and technical musical styles and set out to create a sound that merges the atmosphere of horror and fantasy soundtracks with the heaviness and technical intricacies of metal.” So far so good. Looking over the usual internet resources for info on the musicians in the band, not much comes up, suggesting a glistening newness. The only way to know is to listen.

There are nine tracks on the album, including an on- and off-ramp and one brief transition piece in the middle. After one pass, the target does seem to be Dream Theater, although the themes are more along the horror lines, or at the very least, darkening in that direction. The opening segment is a prelude, and it starts out quietly, as they do, building slowly and theatrically to include a bigger sound and a creepy chorus of voices. The first principal song is “The Wrathful Beast,” and it has a very Danny Elfman-esque structure, but even more elaborate and with rapid blasting percussion and big electrical guitar moments to go along with the orchestration. There are a lot of moving parts here, and the lead vocal is of a toned-down death metal variety (meaning not quite as harsh as you might encounter in a typically death metal band).

If it is complex arrangements you are looking for, this is the place. The sheer number of elements is sometimes overwhelming and can seem excessive. Sorting them all out will take more than one listening. And this is just the first relative short piece running only five minutes. The epic is “Cathedral” at the end, clocking in at over sixteen minutes, and it has rivals. This is beyond prog metal. It pushes into a land of its own creation that at times seems like an endless house of mirrors. The music is full, that’s for sure, and it has a heaping dose of metal and dark, edgy thematic constructions. All these things together lead me to recommend the album for the more adventurous métallurgistes out there.

Marionnettiste drops on Friday, March 5th at the label link or Bandcamp.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://weareexanimis.bandcamp.com/releases

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/ExanimisOfficial

Label, https://www.klonosphere.com/

Exanimis, Marionnettiste (Klonosphere Records 2021)