Lantlôs – Agape

For those of you familiar with Alcest, you may already know that Lantlos is the side project of Alcest‘s band member, Neige. I’d say that the material on this album is a bit heavier than stuff you’ll find on Alcest albums, and definitely not shoegazey whatsoever.

Lantlos’ ‘Agape’ manages to merge a sludgy brand of black metal and post-rock. It’s nothing that hasn’t been done before, but still pleasant nonetheless. Strangely, the song structures remind me of either Mouth of the Architect or Shining. ‘Bliss’ starts off with mid-paced riffing and blast beats, and breaks off into a rather jazzy interlude, only to return back to a metal sound. It’s almost like the track appeared on Shining‘s ‘V – Halmstad’ album, and I like that a lot. In fact, every other track on this album has sounds that remind you of other bands, even the laid back post-rock jam track, “You Feel Like Memories”, reminds me of the sound showcased on Callisto‘s ‘Noir’. ‘Agape’ is a conglomeration of different sounds, and all of them are brought into one in a good way. The tracks may echo sounds of many different artists, but it is still very much original.

It’s actually a shame that the experience is short, clocking in at 35 minutes. This is an album that I feel could have gone on a lot longer and wouldn’t have outstayed its welcome at all. By the end of the album, you’ll probably be tempted to check out the rest of the Lantlos’ discography or look for artists who play in a similar vein. It’s a very good album, one I suggest you check out.