Lengsel – The Kiss – The Hope
Whirlwind Records – WW009 – December 1, 2006
By Jason Jordan
Six years have passed since Lengsel unleashed their post-black metal opus via Solid State, and anyone expecting Solace Part Deux is going to be sorely disappointed. But no one in their right mind can dismiss the fact that Extol and Lengsel change their sound from album to album. Likewise, The Kiss – The Hope is indeed different from Solace insofar as the trio have moved away from BM, but are no less exploratory or experimental, especially vocally. Either way, though, TKTH is only a partially gratifying listen.
There’s no predominant style to be found on The Kiss – The Hope, however, which makes it seem as if nothing is necessarily out of place here. Still, pinpointing the highlights isn’t overly difficult – the Converge-like ‘Hell Calls Hell’ and ‘Miss S.C.’, Extol-sounding ‘A Little Less to Heal,’ post-rocker ‘The Warm Water Chaseway,’ and accordion-wielding outro ‘Avec Toi’ all impress to a certain degree. The unmentioned songs are not only less metal, but are also less significant, too.
While avoiding a pigeonhole may work in Lengsel’s favor, it results in a perplexing, unclassifiable release that many will claim is divisive and inconsistent. In other words, only hardcore Extol/Lengsel fans need apply.
Americans can pick this up from Open Grave Records starting June 5th.
Official Lengsel Website
Official Whirlwind Records Website
Whirlwind Records – WW009 – December 1, 2006
By Jason Jordan
Six years have passed since Lengsel unleashed their post-black metal opus via Solid State, and anyone expecting Solace Part Deux is going to be sorely disappointed. But no one in their right mind can dismiss the fact that Extol and Lengsel change their sound from album to album. Likewise, The Kiss – The Hope is indeed different from Solace insofar as the trio have moved away from BM, but are no less exploratory or experimental, especially vocally. Either way, though, TKTH is only a partially gratifying listen.
There’s no predominant style to be found on The Kiss – The Hope, however, which makes it seem as if nothing is necessarily out of place here. Still, pinpointing the highlights isn’t overly difficult – the Converge-like ‘Hell Calls Hell’ and ‘Miss S.C.’, Extol-sounding ‘A Little Less to Heal,’ post-rocker ‘The Warm Water Chaseway,’ and accordion-wielding outro ‘Avec Toi’ all impress to a certain degree. The unmentioned songs are not only less metal, but are also less significant, too.
While avoiding a pigeonhole may work in Lengsel’s favor, it results in a perplexing, unclassifiable release that many will claim is divisive and inconsistent. In other words, only hardcore Extol/Lengsel fans need apply.
Americans can pick this up from Open Grave Records starting June 5th.
Official Lengsel Website
Official Whirlwind Records Website
