Reviewer: Jesse

Making a semi-impactful splash on the metal scene two years ago, Germany’s Lantlos tried their hand at the post-rock, melancholic, city life-inspired black metal style that has been gaining in popularity over the past several years and the result was actually very impressive and made my Top Ten for 2008.  Certainly nothing groundbreaking, but it had enough personality and memorable moments to make a significant impact on me.  Fast-forward two years to 2010 and we have the sophomore album, .Neon, in which a familiar voice is now singing for them: Neige of Alcest/Amesoeurs notoriety. As much of a fan I am of Neige’s projects, one of the main aspects to the first Lantlos album that stood out was the singer with his screams that were uncharacteristically abrasive and forceful for black metal.  Neige’s voice is also very distinctive as well and while Lantlos is quite different from Alcest, some of the personality was bound to rub off on .Neon with Neige’s signature vocal delivery taking hold.  I guess if they had to make a change at vocals, Neige was the best option.

As for the actual album, this has been much more of a grower than the debut.  The post-rock is in full force and the only trait that keeps the black metal tag alive is the occasional blast beats.  “Minusmensch” and “Pulse/Surreal” have a “lounge music” quality to them that at first listen, almost turned me off completely.  A slow piano coupled with a few bass lines and a lazy drum beat, I could almost see a dark, smoky hotel restaurant with Neige on the piano and a martini sitting on top of the piano next to an ashtray with a cigarette burning away.  Both songs liven up significantly, but the image will resonate in your head throughout the album.  There’s plenty of riff-repetition throughout the album to create huge amounts of atmosphere and is ever so slightly under-produced to give it just enough of a scuffed-up edge.

.Neon is a much more focused and assembled album than the debut where on that album, the song structures were haphazardly put together, but it made for some very rewarding listening.  .Neon pulls together every good and professional angle from that album and connects them along with a few new facets to form a fully cohesive album that never strays from its course.  The result is despondent but still very alive and full of vigor.  There’s something very refined in its ability to be ethereal and down-to-earth at the same time.  The problem that I see is that with so much emphasis on atmosphere, there isn’t much room for anything to really stand out, whether that be a chorus or riff segments.  I’m sure it was more than intentional though as .Neon is the sort of album you can daydream during and still absorb completely.  One thing they should avoid is the rotating door at vocals as that will really hamper their ability to etch anything into people’s minds who try to remember who Lantlos is.  Neige is a good fit, try and keep him.

Release Date: June 14th 2010
Label: Prophecy Productions

TRACK LISTING

1.  Minusmensch
2.  These Nights Were Ours
3.  Pulse/Surreal
4.  Neige de Mars
5.  Coma
6.  Neon

Total playing time: 39:41

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*Comments:

Lantlos - .Neon

June 13, 2010