Contre Ma Lumiere - Helioss (Review)

Black Metal is something I enjoy, but I wouldn't invest myself daily. In such a scenario, the label and artwork intrigues to pick up a black metal record. Same is the story with Helioss. Though the band has existed for a long time now, they are still quite unheard of (also owing to my less depth in the sub-genre). Thankfully I made the decision to pick their newest album "Contre Ma Lumiere" - a decision that I didn't regret!

From the intro track "La Chute du Tyran" itself, Helioss invokes a transcendental journey oscillating between a calming realm and a chaotic kingdom. With the effective use of keyboards and choir aided by the bells and chimes, the song carries a mystical quality to itself. The chaotic realm offers riffs with roots to blackened death. The massive guitar layerings, long solos and the brutal drums blasting beneath throughout seems no less than a death metal orchestra. The vocals transform from insane highs in the heavier moments to chanting vocal lines in the softer sections. The bells at the end of "The Fall of Tyrant" lead us to the next phase. "Les ruines de l'oubli" is a dense track encompassing every aspect of the band's brutal instrumentation while not losing track of its symphonies. It is hauntingly melodic with a demonic presence on the vocals. During the final moments, the black metal aggression bursts out to reveal the "Ruins of Oblivion".

"L'insondable crepuscule des morts'' combines the ferocity of thrash and speed metal with the epicness of the blackened riffs. The symphonic elements incorporated makes your heart beat faster and elevates the listening experience. Even the softer parts seem like withering away into a land of mysticism. The experience is surreal, and can't be expressed in words. The longest track of the album, "Contre me lumiere" is a soft, but dark themed song. Musically it can be interpreted as retrospection upon one's within, and it takes time to delve deep into the melodic aspect. With the retro audio snippets playing in the background, the later-half of the track feels no less than a cinematic experience with the grandeur orchestration. 

Leading into the second-half of the album, "Je suis la voix des muets" blasts Helioss' aggression and vicious nature to its core. The dramatic and creative riffs provide a melodic overtone and manage to overcome the repetitive nature of black metal. While the guitar solo is a must on every track, the electric keyboard solo joins in to proceed with the madness. The riffs on "Leurs serments inconsistant" have uniqueness and bounciness to it, adding a dynamic quality. Along halfway, the song shifts into a realm of electronic soundscape accompanied by tablas, keyboards and heavy bass. The penultimate track "Charniers" showcases ferocity at its best with brutal song-writing and drums almost blasting through the entire moment. The precise riffs and orchestration adds a plethora of epicness on this track. The outro track "Abandon" is a melancholic piece on piano. A farewell track indeed, it serves as the perfect ending point on a transcendental journey.

For an album that's almost an hour of runtime, it takes patience to sit through the entire time. The work becomes easier for an album with good song-writing, and Helioss definitely doesn't disappoint in that. I gotta admit I didn't understand most of the lyrics (since they are in French), the emotional connection I develop with each running seconds develops an intimate connection beyond the barrier of language. Almost everything works perfectly out in the album as each of the elements serve in the larger narrative of cohesive storytelling. "Contre Ma Lumiere" definitely goes as one of my favourite albums of this year. Helioss is relatively a new band for me - I gotta check out their previous releases. Till then I'm definitely waiting for what the band has to put out next.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Website: https://www.facebook.com/Heliossband

Genre: Symphonic Black Metal

Label: Satanath Records

Worldwide Release: April 21, 2022.