Shoegaze

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Sichelstein – Sichelstein (2012)

    cover

    With an extremely unique sound, today we have Sichelstein and their self-titled EP. Presenting five tracks of very retro sounding music, this band manages to create a sick mixture of Shoegaze and Black Metal with Darkwave and Gothic Rock elements with very depressive vibe. Totally unexpected and raw, this release is one of the most interesting ones we have received from Valse Sinistre in the last few months.

    The opener builds up nicely with some very raw sounding guitars and some very new wave-ish keyboards, but it finally explodes with creepily distorted harsh vocals and some organs. “Das Leben” is the most Shoegaze-y track in thise release with a heavy dose of trippy guitars paired with more creepy keyboards and completely deranged vocals, a very interesting listening experience indeed.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    An Autumn For Crippled Children – Only The Ocean Knows (2012)

    cover

    The highly mysterious and anonymous Dutch outfit An Autumn For Crippled Children (AAFCC for short) returns with another dreamy journey into the depths of Post Black/Shoegaze music. “
    Only The Ocean Knows” delivers eight magical tracks of very aggressive and ethereal sounding music. This release is by far the band’s best effort to day, and you should definitely check it out.

    “Past Tense” delivers a very cool intro that made us believe the band was going to bust out an electro track, but it nicely shifts into fuzzy distorted guitars and very rhythmical drumming. The Post-Black influences are very evident and propel this song into atmospheric brilliance. Continuing the band’s atmospheric efforts, “Yes I Know… Love And Death… Always” delivers a bit of a change of pace with some excellent ‘melodic’ passages, but the majority of the time we have the guitars pounding away, keeping the album’s atmosphere flowing.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Closed Room – White Bed Sheet (2011)

    cover

    As one of the weirdest but also very interesting releases we have received in 2012, today we have Closed Room and their promotional EP titled “White Bed Sheet”. This Belarus band features three very different and equally intoxicating tracks that range between Trip-Hop to Post Black Metal. With similarities to bands like Ulver and Amesoeurs, this is indeed one very difficult band to categorize.

    Opening with the atmospheric and very trippy “White Bed Sheet”, the band delivers a very Ulver-like song that has a very powerful atmosphere and excellent vocals. The jazzy female vocals nicely hypnotize the listener while the atmospheric beats work their magic in creating a very dense mood. We are not huge fans of Trip-Hop, but this song is brilliant.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Hypomanie – Calm Down, You Weren’t Set On Fire (2012)

    cover

    The one man musical factory of Hypomanie returns this 2012 with its most ethereal and dreamy sounding release to date: “Calm Down, You Weren’t Set On Fire”. With such a puzzling title, this release delivers six tracks of pure aural depression that delivers very well crafted Blackgaze elements merged into more traditional Post-Rock structures of bands like God is an Astronaut and such.

    With the dreamy opening provided by “19 Starts and the Sweet Smell of Cinnamon”, this release starts very well with lush guitars and an excellent atmosphere. The production behind this release sounds a bit off since the guitars sound funky and too high pitched sometimes, other than this little detail everything else sound great. The band’s change into a more Post-Rock oriented outfit is clearly evident in tracks like “Alissa Loves Perfume” and “If Only the Seas Were Merciful”. On “If Only..” the band still features some Black Metal influences in their Shoegazing guitars, keeping them a bit on par with their previous release.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Arctic Plateau – The Enemy Inside (2012)

    cover

    Delivering a hefty dose of excellent guitar work, today we have Arctic Plateau and their dreamy masterpiece “The Enemy Inside”. Gianluca Divirgilio, the man behind Arctic Plateau has a great sense of melody and through his Post-rock/shoegaze compositions delivers waves of emotions in a way that only a handful of bands can do.

    Opening with the ethereal “Music’s Like…”, this song, as most of the ones in this release, is very guitar centric and with every passing minute there is something exciting to pay attention to. The dreamy atmosphere is top notch and the melancholic vocals nicely roundup this song. The mood in the album constantly changes between dreamy and ethereal to dark and depressive, like on “Idiot Adult”. In this somber song, Gianluca does a great job in using Shoegaze elements to create a magical atmosphere.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Les Discrets - Ariettes Oubliées... (2012)

    cover

    As one of the most anticipated releases of 2012 here at Infernal Masquerade, “Ariettes Oubliées...” is Les Discrets second full-length release and a substantial improvement over their first effort. In this release the band delivers eight highly emotional tracks that if you can’t find the beauty in them; you are definitely deaf or have some hearing problems.

    Combining elements of Post-Rock, Shoegaze, Doom Metal and acoustic passages, Les Discrets manage to deliver a more concise and mature album that showcase the band’s abilities in making emotional music that will transcend in time. Fursy Teyssier’s vocals have greatly improved since “Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées” and together with Winterhalter on drums (Alcest) and  
    Audrey Hadorn providing additional vocals and lyrics, the band is a force to be reckoned and hopefully continue to release even better albums in the future.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Dystopia Nå! – Syklus (2011)

    cover

    Presenting their first full-length release “Syklus”, today we have Dystopia Nå!. In this very interesting release, the band mixes influences of Doom Metal, Shoegaze and Black Metal to create a very unique and excellent sounding album. For eight tracks the band will surely grab your attention whether you like doom-ish distorted guitars, Black Metal assaults, or beautiful Shoegaze passages that will hyptonize you.

    Immediately after the mood setting (and momentum gainer) “Vemod”, the band delivers “Piller”, a very diverse song that shows a hefty amount of Doom Metal influences. After some BM assaults, the song nicely transforms around the 4 minute mark to a full-on Doom Metal tuned down guitar opus. However, just before finishing we have another BM onslaught and some very cool ‘alarm clock’ like sample allowing the listener to wake up from the hypnotic trance of this song.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    An Autumn for Crippled Children – Everything (2011)

    cover

    One of the most mysterious bands coming from the Dutch scene has to be An Autumn for Crippled Childern. After their monumental 2010 debut album “Lost”, they return with an even more impressive and lush release with “Everything”. If you though that their first album was pushing the limits of creativity and delivering in almost every single aspect, wait until you get your hands on this excellent release.

    Being released on ATMF records, “Everything” opens with powerful Shoegaze influenced guitars in “Forever Never Fails”. Drawing similarities to Alcest, Lantlos and similar Post-Black Metal/Shoegaze bands, the band is greatly refining their sound from their first release. The distorted desperate screams of pain that are featured in this track (and throughout the release) greatly contrast the beauty of the music, but in a very effective and devastating manner.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Falloch – Where Distant Spirits Remain (2011)

    cover

    As one of the most beautifully crafted releases of 2011, today we have Falloch’s debut album “Where Distant Spirits Remain”. Featuring 7 tracks of emotional atmospheric post rock/Metal with shoegaze and Black Metal, this release is set to take the scene by surprise due to its intricate design and flawless execution. If you are a fan of bands like Les Discrets, Alcest, Wolve in the Throne Room, Lantlos, etc, you will be blown away by the quality of this album.

    Formed by Andy Marshall and Scott McLean in Glasgow, Scotland, this very young and promising band has managed to capture both emotional landscapes and beautiful imagery through highly atmospheric and nostalgic music. With an emotional layer of vocal styles paired with dreamy guitars and ethereal atmospheric elements, “Where Distant Spirits Remain” is one of those albums that you will not be able to put away after one listen.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Alcest – Le Secret (2011)

    cover

    In this 2011 re-recording of Alcest’s first EP “Le Secret”, Niege and company manage to make this release even more impressive with a crystal clear production. With the upgraded production we can instantly hear the sublime beauty of the band’s sound the way it has been portrayed in their last studio album “Écailles de lune”.

    Featuring re-recorded versions of “Le Secret” and “Elevation” as well as the original version, this EP is a true gem for any Alcest fan. If you want to go all out with the super deluxe edition, you will get an assortment of goodies that will make your friends and your mom envious of how much of a true Alcest fan you are.

Pages

Recent Image Galleries