Eclectika: Dazzling Dawn

I can't help but wonder if this French three piece aren't trapped by their own band name. At the conclusion of the band's second album Dazzling Dawn you just can't help but wonder exactly who this mismatch of weak black metal, "atmospheric" electronic tracks, acoustic work outs and random noises is actually meant to appeal to. I can't honestly imagine a black metal aficionado getting off on the bass less production that removes any impact the riffs may have possessed, nor will they do anything but shake their head at the twee keyboard passages that sound like incidental music on an extremely low budget sci-fi TV movie. The chances of any real fan of progressive keyboard music sitting through the well below standard riffs and in truth bizarrely poor vocals is also remote at best.

Whether it was the intention of Eclectika to end up with a thin and remarkably soulless sound on this disc, I can't be sure, however the drums sound like they were substituted with wet cereal boxes and the guitars have a tuneless drone that instantly reminded me of that South African sensation the Vuvuzela that has cursed all us world cup football fans to turn down the volume on our TV's. Rather than cosh you around the head as true black metal should, these guitars just leave you swatting away what feels like a swarm of bees that has infested this disc. Then come the vocals, which I can only assume are meant to be off key, although the lack of any basic melody line was always going to leave Alexandra Lemoine's high pitched attempt at operatics cruelly exposed and in fairness, on the acoustic respite that is "Les Demons Obsedants Du Regret" her voice does shine through the tuneful strumming and soggy breakfast container thwacking. However oddly enough even the growling vocals of Aurelien Pers try their best not to match their musical backing, which is probably more difficult than it sounds!

Dazzling Dawn is a totally confused collection of disparate ideas that all too blatantly don't work when placed together; however even in isolation the songs offer no real direction, or inspiration. I only wish the music was as captivating as the booklet and CD artwork – unfortunately they are the only impressive things here.

Eclectic it is, good it is not.

1. The End
2. Dazzling Dawn
3. Sophist Revenge
4. Les Démons Obsédants Du Regret
5. There is No Daylight in the Darkest Paradise
6. Experience 835
7. The Next Blue Exoplanet
8. Marble Altar
9. Stokholm Syndrome
10. 11 Corps Décharnés

Added: July 1st 2010
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Eclectika's Official Web Site
Hits: 1907
Language: english

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