When I listen to music I want to be suitably engrossed in what it has to offer right off the bat and ‘Anabasis’ by ‘L’Effondras’ does just that.
At just under 40 minutes, ‘Anabasis’ is music that any post-rock fan will enjoy without having the feeling of it sounding too familiar in of itself. L’Effondras know how to phrase, extract melodies, find interesting rhythms and structure songs without ever being boring or formulaic and that is exactly what draws me to certain branches of post-rock.
From the interesting bluesy intro to ‘The Grinding Wheel’ I was hooked and intrigued as to how this song can and should progress. The ambient textures that are introduced via the second guitar add a whole dimension of feeling and thought into the riff, along with a progression upon the initial idea.
One of the highlights of ‘Anabasis’ is the 11 minute exploration of sound, ‘Ce Que Révèle L’Éclipse’. This track has a distinct mesmerising quality to the guitar playing alongside the always deliberate and emotive drumming. With hints of If These Trees Could Talk and Russian Circles, it shows that not all post-rock needs to be 16th note, drenched in reverb and delay inspired leads.
With that in mind, there is a grit to what L’Effondras bring to the genre and it is welcome. The opening idea of ‘Anhedonia’ brings me to a feeling of hope amongst a world of despair and tragedy. This track really evokes feelings within the listener and flows oh so well into the final track.
‘Norea’ begins with the ambient swirl of uncertainty which makes me feel as if I have just awoken in an unfamiliar land far from home. This ambient drone of sound takes you through the start of the song and is then accompanied by guitar and drums to a simple yet hypnotic rhythm. As the track nears the end, L’Effondras introduce many different layers to make the listener feel as if this could truly be the end of the journey. An apt ending to an interesting and well thought out offering.
All in, this wall of sound created by ‘L’Effondras’ goes straight on the ‘must-listen playlist’ for any post-rock fans. A trip into the unknown with ‘Anabasis’ will leave you asking yourself questions and with a feeling of want for discovering something new.
When L’Effondras take an idea of a riff and expand into an abyss of sound and rhythm, it makes the listener feel alive. They at no point become stale or conventional for the sake of melody or appeal and can be proud of the ‘Anabasis’.
This record is best absorbed at room temperature with the curtains drawn, eyes closed and no other distractions other than your own thoughts on how to escape reality.
Anabasis by L’Effondras was released on 21st May by Medication Time Records. You can find it here.
Leave a Reply