I began reviewing albums for the very first time back in 2020, and the first album that had to endure my thoughts and opinions was Paralysis by Alpha du Centaure. But, if truth be known, I chose the album because I thought it was one of the best releases of that year, so maybe I cheated a little! Since then, I have always spoken well of the band to anyone who would listen to me, and to anyone who had a fondness for post-black and blackgaze music. For me, Alpha Du Centaure have their own unique sound. It’s cold and bitterly melancholic music, that houses within it a tormented soul, which aches and cries sorrowful tales of woe. It's emotive, dark but profoundly uplifting.
So, here we are in 2023 and I’m beyond excited to hear of new music coming from the band. Granted it’s a split with the experimental and brilliant Unknown Fault, and not a full album, but that takes absolutely nothing away from the quality and unquestionable progression that the band have made since Paralysis.
The opening track on Careless, Sunray Inertia is a soothing and rich passage of music that hangs and sways off delicate reverbed cords, swinging back and forth under a cool summer breeze. When the dark, blast beaten clouds come rolling in however, everything changes, and the music explodes into a post-black frenzy with the haunting voice of Unknown Faults Nadia weighing heavy above the clouds of thunder. Even as the visceral and coarser screams come funnelling into the track under those vicious percussions, the heart wrenching melancholy of the music remains, and finally closes under a blanket of synths and sounds.
Alpha Du Centaure’s second track A fleur des lames is an instant tour de force, with its high intensity drumming and its resounding guitars and bass that bombards the senses mercilessly. This is Alpha as I remembered them back in 2020! However, as the track grows, so does the maturity in their sound. Think Show Me A Dinosaur’s Plantgazer album, and you get a really good idea of where the guys are at. I recall my earlier review back in 2020, mentioning that I would love to hear them experiment with some vocals, and I have to say, they have done just that, and have used them wisely and sparingly. Absolutely sublime!
The remaining three tracks on this split album come from the German duo, Unknown Fault. Experimental, doom laden and with an air of dread and foreboding to their sound, the three tracks flow perfectly together, embracing all that’s dark and beautiful. With lots of reverb, fuzzy distorted guitars and a shoegazed aura, Unknown Fault have their own unique sound, and you can see why they fit so well within the Stellar Frequencies roster. Nadia’s voice really shines and radiates over the dense wall of sound that fills the musky air. This is a band that are relatively new to me but will be one to watch for sure.
Careless will be released on April 7th but there is already some stunning vinyl presses along with an equally impressive merch range available to pre order right now, so please go check out their Bandcamp pages.