Hail Spirit Noir: Pneuma

For Hail Spirit Noir, the formula championed by bands such as Fates Warning and Vanden Plas, where guitar-driven ambience combined with mystical melodies creates a sort of symphonic adventure that is both soothing and frightening, has proven to be both influential and instructive, as witnessed on their debut release Pneuma. In most cases, a band whose foundation is largely built on the creativity and innovation of others will be written off as being tired and generic. However, what makes a band like Hail Spirit Noir different is that they have successfully managed to incorporate an array of non-metal influences into their music, while still maintaining and ultimately pushing the boundaries of what can be considered progressive metal.

Specifically, the band's knack for both punk-influenced riffage and avant-garde sensibilities makes this six-song collection a piece of art that is truly unique. "Against the Curse, We Dream," for instance, is a song that, guitar-wise, would have fit nicely alongside any one of the gems on the Dead Kennedy's 1980 release Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. "Let Your Devil Come Inside," on the other hand, is a blend of Slint-esque arrangments and lyrics in the vein of Burzum, where the vocals alternate between menacing snarls (think Cancer's John Walker) and operatic singing (think Serj Tankian). Throw in the synthesizers and acoustic guitars and you can start to see what I mean when I say that this is something that is deserved of your attention.

Unfortunately for you, Pneuma has a release date of March 5, so you'll have to wait a bit to hear it. Be that as it may, it would be wise of you not to sleep on this album.

Track Listing
1. Mountain of Horror
2. Let Your Devil Come Inside
3. Against the Curse, We Dream
4. When All is Black
5. Into the Gates of Time
6. Haire Pneuma Skoteino

Added: March 1st 2012
Reviewer: Wesley Smith
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2801
Language: english

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