Style: Progressive metal, post-metal, djent (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: TesseracT, Alcest, Vildjharta, Sylvaine
Country: France
Release date: 6 September 2024
Metal is one of many genres uniquely positioned to provide catharsis through its inherent instrumental intensity: more obviously, you have the Archspire approach of playing instruments blisteringly fast into oblivion or the Meshuggah approach of slamming your skull in with thick chunky grooves, but intensity can be found on the other end of the heaviness spectrum as well as in the power metal hyper-melodicism of Pathfinder or the all-encompassing sun-kissed guitar tone of Alcest, all giving emotional release in their onslaught of speed, technicality, or atmosphere. It would seem quite fitting, then, that themes of catharsis centralize Vestige’s debut, Janis: does it exorcise the listener of their unwanted woes or does it just leave us feeling spent?
Vestige eagerly explore different combinations of post-metal and djent on Janis: any given song will feature either dreamy wall-of-sound atmospherics, harsh thall passages, or both at the same time, sounding like if Neige, who volunteers harsh vocals on “Automne Part 2,” decided on a dime that Les Voyages de l’âme wasn’t groovy enough and bought every Vildhjarta-sounding Neural DSP archetype he could find in the throes of a mid-life crisis. The end result comes remarkably close to Sgàile’s “Silence” in how it navigates a mixture of djenty grooves and post-metal sensibilities, but here they are explored through darker, edgier tones and rawer production. Note, though, that the less slick production doesn’t hamper Janis’s sound but works well in tandem with its post-black metal roots.
Many of Janis’s highlights are found on the post-metal focused tracks: opener “Différent” sets the tone with a soothing aquatic guitar tone; “Océan” oscillates between heavier djent moments and wall-of-sound atmospherics and ends with some beautiful yet somber synth pads; “Automne Part 1” gloriously embodies Alcestian ideas, bleeding from post-black intensity into lush and spacious guitar and vocal work, conjuring images of an ethereal creature beckoning me to the heart of a cave, all culminating in a crushing djent breakdown; and closer “Avant la Fin” sits solely in a calmer atmosphere, like luxuriating in a warm secluded spring after a long journey. Vestige have shown early on in their career that they grasp the fundamentals of post-black metal and know how to utilize it to their benefit.
However, I can’t shake this nagging feeling that I want just a little more from Vestige: while the execution is certainly there as far as the post-black elements are concerned, it often teeters into aping territory, coming across more like Alcest’s cutting room floor material than a unique vision crafted by Vestige. While the groovier moments certainly help to alleviate this issue, the incorporation of djent ultimately causes more problems than it solves: “Deviens la Nuit” feels particularly uninspired, as if the song is chugging along out of obligation as opposed to an innate desire to groove, save for a couple of points of interest near the bridge; other songs that mix djent and post-metal like “Stigmates du Temp” feel a bit unfocused, lilting from palm-muted quasi-metalcore into effect-laden guitar passages. However, it should be noted that most songs have at least one central point of interest, whether it be a climactic groove or a slick, ethereal post-metal passage: the aforementioned “Stigmates du Temps” features some killer angular guitar work in its closing moments and is carried along by a pleasant vocal performance. It’s just a shame that these better ideas are bookended by songwriting that is either unfocused, uninspired, or living in the shadow of its influences.
I feel decidedly mixed about Janis: a combination of djent and post-black metal seems like a slam-dunk formula, as it worked so magnificently for Sgàile earlier this year, but Janis’s meandering songwriting and uninspired thall hamper the decent post-metal on display and strip the music of its catharsis. Vestige have their work cut out for them as far as fleshing out their identity is concerned, but given this is their debut, I imagine that they will figure out how to refine their songwriting and carve out a niche in their sound. I do like where they’re going with their combination of styles, but Janis is at best a stepping stone to a more realized and complete vision. In the meantime, I will return to screaming into the void as my primary method of catharsis.
Recommended Tracks: Automne Part 1, Envol de l’âme, Océan
You may also like: Needle, Novembre, Uneven Structure, Sgàile
Final verdict: 6/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook
Label: Season of Mist – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website
Vestige is:
– Théodore Rondeau (vocals)
– Thomas Petit (guitars)
– Pierre-André Krauzer (bass)
– Quentin Regnault (drums)
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