SHEOL

HYPNO5E is this French experimental metal band born in 2003. Based on extreme sounds, cinematics, concepts like on 'Alba' dating back to 2018 where I noted prog hovering melancholy acoustic as OPETH did so well; since then, this art-rock movement has become much more avant-garde metal with dissonant sounds, breaks in rhythm and classic ambient post-rock; towering riffs and grooves, like life's ups and downs; unique experience like sheol, this mythical place of eternal rest.

"Sheol - Part I" intro spleen depressive, languorous, voice from over there, from VALLEJO for the text, singular space, restful before "Sheol - Part II" tumbles cold, violent, austere like the clip shot on the mountain Ventoux in the middle of a storm; the doom-death groove gives way to a cinematic moment showing the landscape through a clearing in the fog; desolating moment of all beauty; the screaming, screaming voices, then muffled with those of women in French; on KWOON increasing the austere aspect of this musical fury with a little djent after the cinematic scents; Emmanuel with the voices passes from the soft to the brutal without problem, thus anesthetizing the debauchery of animal riffs like THE OCEAN; the heavy, jerky drums, memories of the ANATHEMA sound from the primary period. "Bone Dust" violins for melancholy intro and dark melody, that of the 1st day of the World; female voice amplifying the contemplative side, announcing an apocalyptic air worthy of the Man emerging from his cave; the heavy riff à la GOJIRA in their prog metal phase fits almost miraculously even when there is a return of the delicate melody; symbiosis between technicality and rage, gloom and light with a finale making the progs go away who did not accept the metallic and progressive fusion of this fabulous title. "Tauca - Part I" acoustic guitar interlude, remedy to recover from this debauchery of sounds, such as 'The Battle Of Evermore' gently; no metallic djent break, here it's an evening resting by the fireside by the lake.

"Lava From The Sky" seems to leave on the same atmosphere, dark metal of the end of the world it is you who see, the kind of oxymorian music that I love; madness with latent sweetness and savagery, an experimental death sound laced with depressive post rock; we can only be in the subjective here, in the eye of the storm between calm and chaos; a bit of violins, progressive choirs for an ambient calm and a dissonant maelstrom. "The Dreamer And His Dream" with a cinematic intro worthy of a 'Promotheus', dark, lugubrious, invading, solemn, with a classic rhythm; wind instruments then a seated acoustic guitar, bringing a crescendo that starts on the sound of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, modern and nervous, tinged with an explosive and melancholic nuance at the same time, a bit like MY DYING BRIDE did so well; a musically deconstructed sound; umpteenth break around 9 minutes where the big Bertha gets into action, staggering before leaving on a serene post-rock sound; to note during these pieces the narration of the texts of poets like SEXTON or DESNOS. "Slow Steams Of Darkness - Part I" with an extract from 'Enfants du Paradis' and the saving piano and classical guitar interlude for an ethereal title bringing "Slow Steams Of Darkness - Part II" to a djent-post- experimental rock-metal with proven paroxysmal doom, amen. A text recited before a yelled, groovy, skinned cry which denotes here, too violent in view of the radiant instrumental parts; the voice becomes soft, and we would like it to remain so; yet another yelled cry, an evil riff, an avalanche of drum pads, the growl arrives, it saturates; and the finale the real one on a piano bed to come back down to earth; but where were you, heaven or hell or ghost between these two worlds?

HYPNO5E released the perfect album in this musical genre; ambient metal, extreme post rock for an inner ghostly journey; a visionary album that must be deciphered, translated, amalgamated to bring out its musical marrow, much more progressive than it seems at first glance; between THE OCEAN and KWOON, between Devin TOWNSEND and BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, dark-djent-progressive too, a French group which should finally have its worldwide recognition in the very closed circle of underground cult groups. Brutal but melodic album, powerful but intimate, cinematic and progressive, immense, drowned in prog meanders, with unstoppable spleen melodies bringing profusions of eidolies through its musical curves. (5 for compositions in this musical genre.)

2.5/5 2023 is seems to be a big year for French progressive heavy music. Hypno5e joins the likes of HamaSaari, Anasazi, Gorod, and probably others that I don't know anything about, in releasing well regarded releases this year. While "well-regarded" in the context of practically unknown French indie-prog simply means a handful of Prog-Archives reviewers and a few review blogs like Angry Metal Guy have given these releases favorable reviews, for the avid prog metal fan seeking out the next great developments in progressive music, the 2023 prog metal scene deserves any attention we can give it. Surprisingly, for me at least, most of these aforementioned groups, Hypno5e included, have been around and releasing LP's for over a decade long time. Their lack of recognition globally given their talent and, most importantly, willingness to experiment and push prog metal forward is absolutely criminal.

Unfortunately, while I would like this review of Sheol to be glowing recommendation and a call for all prog fans to get it on the French scene, I can't quite get behind it. Hypno5e definitely attempt to embody the experimental spirit that characterizes this scene but fail to actualize it. Its almost as if the band sketched on a whiteboard the structure of a boundary pushing record but then filled in that structure with stock chords and riffs until the spaces could be filled with more inspired content.

With all that said, I can also see why prog fans might still love this record. As indicated above, there is a structure to the record that is attempting something huge and, for lack of a better word, cinematic. For some, the form of delivery will be enough to elevate the material actually being delivered. I guess you can say I am one of the poor fans who lost sight of the forest for the trees when evaluating this record. Either way, I encourage any listener to make their own opinion.