Luminance
To be released November 17, 2017
If you're searching for a group that have no qualms whatsoever regarding a tendency to blend the rough with the smooth then you've come to the right place. PËRL are a self-defined post-metal act who are on the verge of making themselves wholly conspicious with the upcoming release of their new five-track LP titled 'Luminance'. The album is self-produced and is set for release on November 17 2017. Musically it is a distinct combination of lo-fi underground movements, ambient sub-genres with a dash of black metal in its most subtle form. I'd even go as far as to say that they're more of a "blend" type-group as opposed to anything else. The album features a bookending two-parter suite pinned to a theme titled 'Deval'. The first part of the suite 'Himalaya' opens the album and it's probably the most mercurial song with its noticeable changes of style, mood, atmosphere and tempo. You've got the group featured in all of their essences; - the rough, the smooth and the pacifying in-between. Like they tend to do often the track begins as a very subdued number and remains that way for three-and-a-half minutes before it subsides into the virtually silent unknown. Of course that's only one of the pieces of their puzzle as the second half of the track is an unyielding foot-stomping rocker which is ubiquitously loud in comparison to the previous half; - whether it actually is, factually speaking, is another question but I think the general conviction is that they're very concerned with the dynamics ie. the contrast of opposites. To close the album is second-parter 'Jhomo Langma' which is probably more of a wordy-piece yet it features numerous structural and compositional allusions to its predecessor. While the two-parter does take centre-stage in one's initial perception of the record one should not be so keen to dismiss the songs that are sandwiched in the middle. There's songs like 'Ka' which in my personal opinion is the strongest track in terms of consistency. 'L'homme À L'éléphant Blanc (feat. Faustine Berardo)' comprises a lot of intriguing vocal layering techniques to a style that is afusion of the melodic and the rhythmic, quasi-spoken word forms of phrasing. Definitely something I'd like to hear them experiment with a bit more on future releases. 'Séléné' is a nice ditty although it doesn't offer much stylistic variation in comparison to the others. The second half is a little bit more open with the feint distant echoes of a tambourine for percussive measures. Overall it's a good albeit similar release. Don't get me wrong; - there aren't many melodies you'll come away singing and it isn't the most sonically immediate type of release but it works very well if utilized in a soundtrack-esque manner. -Jaime Regadas
Track list:
1. Himalaya (Deval, Pt. I)
2. Ka
3. Séléné
4. L'homme à l'éléphant blanc
5. Jhomo langma (Deval, Pt. II)
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