2016 was a year of great releases and a few fell under the radar. Over the past few years January is that month to find albums and then think to yourself: “How the hell did I miss this?” or “How the hell was this not in my Top 2016 list?”. Ah well…
Faltre was such a well kept secret as there was no Facebook page, no mentions of the band on my usual groups or forums until a few weeks ago. What can I tell you about them? Well, they are a quartet from Giessen, Germany. Their sounds is an extremely balanced mix of Post Rock, Post Metal, Doom and Post Hardcore.
After listening to Elegeia, it’s very hard to believe that this is the band’s first ever release. The way it sounds, the level and maturity of the songwriting and all the small details they incorporate in their songs are just insane. Not to mention the artwork and the care for the physical release, which are simply outstanding. Elegeia has 2 Movements: ‘Elegeia I’ and ‘II’. The first composed by the first 5 songs and the second solely composed by the massive 18+ minute closer.
All around the production, for me, is perfect. It emphasizes the drums and the bass. Not to undermine all the other instruments and musicians here (the whole band is incredibly talented!) but the bass is perhaps the most important instrument on this record: the intricate and beautiful basslines (which lead most of the songs), the punchiness of the sound… it sounds so massive!
Diversity is also key on Elegeia. There are blastbeats where the intensity is risen to the max, there are heavy crunching guitars, there are softer passages with some breathing space, there are moments where the songs take their time reaching their climax and there are moments of permanent climax.
We can talk about so many great moments on this record such as the dark and beautiful lead/riff midway through “The Bearer and the Witness” so dark and beautiful, the intensity and epic build up of ‘…Searching for Solitude’, the pace of ‘A Gentle Thief’. However, I do have to point out that ‘Riven’ and ‘Sea of Blossom’ are epitomes of perfection. The first with its changes of pace, its complex structure and the blastbeats make it grandiose. What to say of the second? Well, it’s an 18 minute giant! Listen to it.
One of the greatest things about this album is that I never thought about comparing Faltre with any other band at any given moment and never do every time I come back to this record. There a sense of uniqueness here that I hadn’t come across in a while. I honestly think there is a great future ahead of this band and cannot wait for them to release new music already.
In the bands words: Elegeia features a musical concept, illustrated by the cover artwork and song titles. It tells about past wounds and future hopes. Of a journey into uncertainty. A beginning and possibly even an end.
