Hypno5e: A Distant (Dark) Source - Part II

Forming in Montpellier, France, Hypno5e (which I’m presuming is pronounced Hypnose and not Hypnofivee) are a post-metal-progressive collective who also lay claim to something they describe as cinematic metal. That latter proclamation comes from their lyrical intent and, to be fair, a little from the wide ranging music lain out here on A Distant (Dark) Source - Part II, where an opening and closing track bookend a trio of lengthy three part songs that have no hurry in revealing their intentions. In terms of style, Hypno5e look to meld a modern, near djent like attack with something a little more metalcore and then sprinkle on top a few atmospheric asides - some of which can be lengthy and some of which can be very lengthy indeed! It makes for an intricate and involved journey through what would best be described as some remarkably earnest fare. There’s not a drop of anything other than ultra-seriousness on AD(D)S and any suggestion that Hypno5e don’t 100% mean what they say - in English, French and Catalonian Spanish - is refuted and then some.

Where things don’t stack up so much is in the execution of the more aggressive outbursts, with the grating guitars and screamed vocals consistently missing their desired mark. It’s a case of being able to see exactly what the intention is here and yet, when it boils down to it, not truly being capable of connecting. And then the slower, more ambient asides slide into view. The merest hint of Coheed & Cambria giving off a completely different air and one that’s almost instantly agreeable. French spoken word interludes are laced amongst both styles in hope of a more coherent colliding of the different aspects on this album and while on occasion it’s all sewn together seamlessly, too often the frays are easy to see when the lengthier tracks hop from intention to intention and back again without any real context for the change.

With strings also looking at times to offer another point of interest, there’s a feeling that Hypno5e themselves feel the need to add new flavours to their wares to truly make them convincing and while the arrangements and ideas do make sense of a lot of what is revealed, as before it’s something that clicks more into place when this album reels things right back in and takes its foot off the gas. For me there are passages across A Distant (Dark) Source - Part II that truly cause your attention to snap into focus, but unfortunately that self same aspect merely highlights how easy it can be to find yourself disconnecting when this band’s aggression is at its most fierce.

Track Listing
1. On The Dry Lake - Part II
2. In The Blue Glow Of Dawn - Part I
3. In The Blue Glow Of Dawn - Part II
4. In The Blue Glow Of Dawn - Part III
5. A Distant Dark Source - Part I
6. A Distant Dark Source - Part II
7. A Distant Dark Source - Part III
8. On Our Bed Of Soil - Part I
9. On Our Bed Of Soil - Part II
10. On Our bed Of Soil - Part III
11. Tauca - Part II (Nowhere)

Added: December 8th 2019
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Hypno5e @ bandcamp
Hits: 709
Language: english

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