Perseide – The Only Thing
Perseide – The Only Thing
Self-Released
Release Date: 17/12/21
Running Time: 39:31
Review by Simon Black
9/10
OK, so you know how the whole Nu-Metal / Alternative hybrid thing is dead, right? Well, maybe not…
Given that I spent most of the late 90’s and early noughties in mourning for my favourite musical genre, which seemed to be melting away in favour of a sub-genre that rarely got my attention, then those of you that know me would be quite justified in raising the odd eyebrow regarding why I chose this particular release to scrutinise. Whilst there is an argument that journalists often listen to things so you don’t have to, that’s not the way I work, and France’s Perseide crossed my desk quite willingly.
The reason for this is simple. Despite being in many ways a time capsule from the period when bands like Korn and Linkin Park were busy tearing the world a new stylistic asshole, this record doesn’t feel like it’s just some retro wannabe. This band have an energy, soul and persona as emphatic and stylistically appealing as the first time Chester Bennington’s angst ridden scream scored its way through my ear drums and made me think that there was something worth listening to in this nu-fangled sub-genre after all.
For a start there’s way more than Nu-Metal or Alternative in the mix. It’s as Modern as hell, as heavy as a concrete elephant and with some really technically impressive Progressive twists and flourishes that have moved this from raised eyebrows and straight into repeat playlist territory. ‘Skyfall’, despite being a much-used song title elsewhere, is a great example of this fusion of styles, but it pales into insignificance compared to the stand out tracks on here, like the hauntingly catchy ‘Sell Yourself’, or the brutally hard driven ‘Fade Away’. The Linkin vocal comparison above is relevant, as vocalist (and indeed guitarist) Julien Lanoiselèe has an incredibly gutsy and emotionally intense timbre when he lets rip, but scales so many stylistic notches between there and the cleaner style he equally effortlessly delivers along the way. It’s hard to take on board that not only is he doing it vocally alone, but he’s also playing an instrument to boot. Not that the rest of the band have any challenges in that department either, as the musicianship and song-writing on here is top notch, with a lavish and rich production sound that really emphasises the depth of their material, and really, really does not sound like a debut album finding their house sound.
Amazingly for a band that’s been around in one form or another since they were kids in 2001, this is in fact only their first full length album (although there have been a couple of EP’s along the way). I guess when you’ve had twenty years to get to this point, then the material is likely to have been well crafted and honed over time, so the real challenge will be if they can keep the quality up now that they are onto the treadmill of the album touring cycle, but I remain positive because the quality here really is exceptionally good. More please, and soon…
‘Siren In The Distance’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Sell Yourself
02. Trick or Treat
03. The Getaway
04. Fade Away
05. Blackening Everything
06. Siren in the Distance
07. Skyfall
08. Asylum
09. Red Naomi
10. Don’t Let Me Go
LINE-UP:
Anthony Segarra – Drums
Guillaume Lafosse – Bass / Keyboards
Julien Lanoiselèe – Vocals / Guitar
Adrien Rossero – Guitar
LINKS:
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