Year of No Light – Tocsin (2013)

If you ignore the weird side-step that was “ Vampyr”, “Tocsin” is the perfect continuation for the band’s previous masterpiece “Ausserwelt”. Year of No Light arrives from France with a pummeling dosage of Instrumental Doom/Sludge Metal that will make melt your faces. Crafting over 57 minutes of music, this six-piece outfit delivers one of the most intense and complex Doom/Sludge releases we have heard in quite a while.

The album title track kicks things off with a heavy atmospheric intro that slowly melts into a full-on Sludge riff-aton. We particularly love how the track around the 5th minute takes a turn to the Doom side of things with some think melancholic guitars. The band’s versatility is pushed further with the Post-Metal/Rock-ish anthem “Géhenne”. The guitars are pushed to the limit and so is the pulsating bass guitar line on this one. The band keeps the intensity going and instead of being the typical band that climaxes and then slowly drifts away, they keep pushing the intensity of their sound further and further.

For people looking for some more minimalistic and bleak soundscapes, “Désolation” is your track. We get some more of the dreamy Post-Metalish guitars and a very hypnotic pace on this one. In a more traditional fashion, “Stella Rectrix” returns to the Doom/Sludge side of things, but not without a very thick and convincing atmospheric component. This track is by far the most intense and nerve raking song on the whole album.

Combining all of the album’s unique elements, “Alamüt” brings this release to a triumphant closing. Year of No Light is without a doubt one hell of a band. The synergy between all musicians is just amazing and their musicianship is insane. “Tocsin” features five brilliant tracks that are perfectly crafted to get the most out of the listener’s attention. If you like epic and intense Doom/Sludge with some Post-Metal/Post-Rock influences, look no further and get a copy of this.

Label: Debemur Morti

Release: November 29th, 2013

Genre: Doom/Sludge Metal

Country: France