SAILLE - "Irreversible Decay" - Reviews

http://metaltube.freeforums.org/reviews-for-saille-irreversible-decay-t1570.html

We'll start with a good one !

Irreversible Decay is the debut album by black metal band Saille, released in 2011. The music of Saille is best described as Symphonic Black metal, however there are times within their music that where Classical Black Metal would perhaps be the more accurate description to give them.

The album begins with an instrumental piece that really plays on the classical/symphonic influences in the band’s sound. This is a nice lead in to the first actual song, Passages Of The Nemes. Initial impression of the album at this stage are that the band are competent at their instruments and that they have not gone that the under-produced route that some black metal bands do, resulting in a good clear sound topped off by some pretty decent vocals which at times remind me of Mayhem’s Attila Csihar. Normally coming from me that wouldn’t be a complement because I can’t say I go much on Csihar’s vocals, but Saille vocalist Jonathan Vanderwal manages to pull off the style in a way that that complements the music well. Instrumentation from the other members of the top is top notch for the style they play, and I find it nice to hear a bit of lead guitar in the music as well. But it’s the classical/symphonic element in the music that really makes Irreversible Decay an interesting album, as it is this that really makes the sound atmospheric.

There is plenty on offer here for the black metal fan, and even to people who don’t enjoy the genre so much. This is a more accessible album than some black metal releases I’ve come across, but it sounds all the better for it. This is symphonic black metal at its finest and to top it all the album proves itself to be no one trick pony as well, with fourth track Plaigh Allais being very progressively inclined with several random changes in the track’s delivery, and it instantly became one of the album’s highlights for me. Another highly is Maere, which is the first song the band released to promote the album. The intro of this one really showcases that classical feel again, to excellent results. It is an album where every song provides some fresh ideas and there isn’t a single track that can be considered the album’s weak link.

All in all Irreversible Decay is without a doubt one of the first truly exciting albums from 2011 and is also one of the best debut’s I’ve heard for some time. The band can safely be proud of this gem. Consider this reviewer highly impressed.

10/10
 
http://louciferspeaks.com/2011/01/19/saille-irreversible-decay/

I have literally been on the edge of my seat waiting for the release of this album. The song that has been available via YouTube in recent months, “Maere”, has already become a firm favourite with me.

Trying to pin a description on any band is always a mammoth task, but I thought I’d have a go anyway! I’d probably have to describe Saille as a Neo-Classical Black Metal band and fans of bands like Cor Scorpii should be drooling over “Irreversible Decay”.

Saille have created a ‘must have’ album in my eyes. The songs are sophisticated and melodic… and I’d even go as far as to say that they were majestic. The Black Metal vocals are at just the right level in the mix – they are clear and menacing, but they allow the instrumentation to really take centre-stage. This all works to create a full and complete sounding record.

The album opens with “Nomen” – an intro track that really sets the scene for what’s to come. “Passages of the Nemesis” is, quite frankly, a masterpiece. It weaves through soundscapes and firmly embeds the listener into Saille’s world. “Overdose of Gray” is a more savage track, but it still manages to retain those melodic undertones that the band have managed to use to their optimum effect. The thing that really stands out about this track is the strange, almost circus melody that runs through parts of it (have a listen and you’ll hopefully get what I’m on about!) – this successfully creates an unhinged and spooky atmosphere – firmly cementing this track as my overall favourite from the album.

“Plaigh Allais” is pretty much as dramatic and cinematic as they come, and it really forces you to give it your full and undivided attention. Saille are certainly not here to make background music. “The Orion Prophecy” and “Revelations” are a couple of those tracks that justify the ‘majestic’ label. At times they remind me of Dimmu Borgir… and I like Dimmu, so this is a good thing. Then it’s on to “Maere” – an absolutely beautiful track! Check it out by viewing the video at the end of this review. “Tephra” is a massive sounding track and I love the way that the vocals sound almost tortured and the outro is shocking beautiful and tranquil – a wonderful juxtaposition! The album closes with “Tremendous” which is… er… tremendous and carries a folk element in its intro that hasn’t been quite so apparent in the other tracks.

As you may have concluded whilst reading this review, I really like this album. In fact, I cannot find a single fault with it. There is absolutely nothing that I would change. At all. Ever. Everything is well and truly spot on. However, I’m only going to award it 99%. “Why?” I hear you cry! Well, 100% would imply perfection and there would be no topping it. But, I really think that Saille are capable of producing something even more awe-inspiring than this.

I know it’s only January, but I’m confident in saying that “Irreversible Decay” will be in my Top 10 albums of the year come December.

Rating: 99%
 
http://www.ragherrie.com/2011/01/saille-irreversible-decay/

‘Voor de fans van Keep Of Kalessin, Carach Angren en Tartaros’ staat op de bijgevoegde informatie. Saille komt uit België en maakt symfonische black metal. Binnenkort verschijnt hun debuut Irreversible Decay dat een drie kwartier aan symfoblack bevat.

En dat klinkt lekker aangezien de beschrijving helemaal klopt. Saille klinkt erg zwart en agressief met een flinke lepel melodie en als dressing symfonische elementen. Dit voegt enorm veel toe aan de op zich al sterke composities. Muzikaal gezien klinkt het al zeer divers maar de vocalen zijn als een vis in het water. Zo nu en dan lijkt het alsof je in een horrorfilm beland bent.

Diversiteit in overvloed. Er is lang over de totstandkoming van deze plaat gedaan en dat hoor je terug. Behalve vergelijkingen met Carach Angren is een vergelijking met Dimmu Borgir ook niet bepaald onlogisch.Vanaf het begin (Nomen) krijg ik al kippenvel van dit spul. Saille is een soort metalheroïne, elke keer wil je het weer. De zanglijnen in Passages en het gitaarwerk zijn subliem. Er is duidelijk een concept aanwezig en dat waardeer ik.

Het voortreffelijke Revelations zit subliem in elkaar. Een prachtige riff samen met een krachtige blastbeat samen met een stem waar je u tegen zegt. Maere is een gigantische uitschieter vanwege de grootsheid waarmee het opent en opbouwt. Wow-factor 10.

Ik ga hier geen woorden meer aan vuil maken. Dit moet je beleven en gewoon in huis halen. Het is een must voor elke fan van Dimmu Borgir, Carach Angren en Tartaros. Muziek in 2011 waar nog moeite voor gedaan is, het bestaat! Saille is de naam.

9/10
 
http://www.metalwave.it/viewrece.php?id=2923

Lasciate che vi narri brevemente parte dell'iter che seguo per le recensioni. Anzitutto ascolto il lavoro in maniera superficiale, lo lascio scorrere, per capire se c'è da subito qualche peculiarità che va notata o se per caso, addirittura la musica è così avvincente che non posso fare a meno di seguirla. Poi lo ascolto di nuovo, anche saltando tra le tracce, scrivendo alcune impressioni e alcune frasi che scivolano, libere, dalla mia mente. Naturalmente spulcio i siti e vedo il materiale stampa che viene allegato, nonché la grafica dell'artwork. Ascoltando i brani sul pc ho subito una visuale della durata dei brani e del disco nella sua interezza; quando ho schiacciato “play”, ho rapidamente notato che la prima traccia è un intro di oltre tre minuti. Con questo presupposto e la seconda traccia della durata di circa tredici minuti (il lavoro in totale è di ben 75 minuti!) ho immaginato immediatamente che sarebbe stato un ascolto impegnativo e speravo che le composizioni fossero avvincenti, per non dovermi tediare. Fortuna vuole che questo sia un album davvero superlativo; black metal melodico sostenuto da tastiere e ricco di intermezzi atmosferici ed acustici, che non si dimentica di essere soprattutto metal e che alle chitarre affida molto del mood cinereo che pervade il disco.
Per fare qualche nome che dia una direzione a chi ascolta, posso citare i primi Keep Of Kalessin nell'uso delle chitarre e qualcosa dei primi Cradle Of Filth per l'uso del piano e di certi momenti lugubri, ma senza alcun ammiccamento o ruffianeria. I brani sono tutti molto sentiti e ogni strumento fa la sua ottima apparizione in un mix di eccellente potenza; ottimi gli stacchi di basso, così com'è interessante notare i differenti suoni della tastiera, utilizzati in base alle sensazioni che vuole richiamare: talvolta più maestosa ed orchestrale, altre volte, più cupa ed intimista, emula un tetro organo. Infine, essenziale, evocativa e variegata la prova vocale.
L'intero album è pervaso da sensazioni maligne che portano alla mente episodi di primordiale black metal scandinavo (forse più svedese, per via della velocità d'esecuzione...); anche nella traccia più breve ed accattivante, “Revelations” dopo un attacco sinfonico si sprofonda in parossistiche melodie nere dal sapore rituale. Davvero convincente per forza emotiva il brano “Tephra”, di oltre undici minuti di durata, che tanto ricorda i mai dimenticati Dissection e riserva la chiusura ad un mirabile assolo di violino, malinconico ed appassionato. Altri episodi sopra le righe: “Plaigh Allais” con un intermezzo acustico ammaliante e “Tremedous”, raggelante traccia conclusiva.
Il Punto di forza dell'intero disco è la facilità con cui si riesce ad addentrarsi nell'ascolto; infatti, nonostante le composizioni siano tutt'altro che basilari, viste anche la lunga durata dei singoli episodi, i brani hanno una forza dirompente e un equilibrio particolare che riesce ad alternare momenti più devastanti a stacchi strumentali (talvolta si servono di solisti classici per violino, violoncello, ecc...) senza mai annoiare.
Questo è un debutto davvero esaltante per tutti coloro che sentono la mancanza di quelle band sopra citate, che per un motivo o per un altro hanno abbandonato i loro suoni più ispirati in favore di aperture commerciali e che ormai mostrano la corda.

76/100
 
http://www.flightofpegasus.gr/heavy_metal/

SAILLE – “Irreversible Decay” (Code 666)
saille.jpg
Σε ένα κέλτικο αλφάβητο το όνομά τους αποτελεί το τέταρτο κατά σειρά γράμμα του, ενώ το ίδιο σημαίνει και ιτιά. Το σεξτέτο από το Βέλγιο εισέρχεται στο χώρο του σκληρού συμφωνικού ήχου και διαθέτει μέλη με αρκετά ένσημα στα βαρέα επαγγέλματα της μουσικής. Σύμφωνα με τα λόγια των ίδιων, «αγαπούν το black και τη μελαγχολία, ανακαλύπτουν την ομορφιά της καταστροφής». Εντάξει, μην το πάρετε τοις μετρητοίς αυτό, αλλά, αν σας αρέσουν συγκροτήματα όπως π.χ. οι Keep Of Kalessin, τότε υπάρχει σοβαρό ενδεχόμενο να ακούσετε με συμπάθεια το παρουσιαζόμενο πρώτο άλμπουμ του συγκροτήματος. Το περιεχόμενο του είναι εκρηκτικό, με ταχύτητες και πλήκτρα που δίνουν τον κλασικό τόνο. Κάνει εντύπωση η έντασή του, έχει ωραίες στιγμές και η ακρόασή του διατηρεί αρκετά σταθερό το ενδιαφέρον. Ο ήχος τους θα μπορούσε να είναι λίγο καλύτερος. Δείχνουν ότι μελλοντικά δύνανται να ξεχωρίσουν από την πληθώρα των εκπροσώπων του είδους.
 
http://www.cackblabbath.co.uk/2011/01/25/saille-irreversible-decay/

There is a fair amount of decent Black Metal, of various flavours, coming out at the moment. Fen’s Epoch set the standard for the others to beat and hot on it’s heels comes the debut offering from Belgian band Saille.
Now it seems that Black Metal bands don’t just get together to play music, oh no. Epoch apparently “draws the listener into a windswept and desolate landscape, bereft of hope” and not to be outdone Saille is a project set up to explore “the beauty of destruction”….
And you know what, Irreversible Decay is an excellent example of modern symphonic black metal. It swings between atmospheric acoustic guitar passages and full on raging black metal fury effortlessly. There are the requisite folk-ey influences here but less so than, for example, Fen or Negura Bunget.
The album opens with an instrumental that can honestly be described as pleasant, and which sets the stage for the inevitable explosion of noise. The production is excellent, clear but not over produced as the band have steered clear of the murky, dirty sound favoured by many of their peers.
The mark of an album like this is how well the quiet and the noisy bits sit alongside each other and I have to say that Saille have got the balance just about spot on. It’s not a constant wall of black metal noise but instead has enjoyable quieter passages which make Irreversible Decay more accessible.
 
http://www.metalteamuk.net/jan11reviews/cdreviews-saille.htm

his is the Belgian band Saille’s first album. As the title “Irreversible Decay” suggests, it is devoted to the darker end of life. I have read that it’s a “musical project to explore the Beauty of Destruction”. As a piece of orchestral Black Metal, it’s certainly got the bombast which would go with this statement.

A feature of the album is the classical guitar sections which complement the menace, violence and despair which characterise it as a whole. A classical guitar opening gives way to the classic warmongering of “Passage of the Nemesis”, complete with blastbeats, fury, desperate growls and there’s a filthy stench going around. This is the same world as that of Limbonic Art, Devilish Impressions and Emperor. The fury is punctuated by delightful but simultaneously sinister classical passages. “Overdose of Gray” comes more from the chaotic end of Limbonic Art. The tinkling sounds like the dolls are coming out to do horrible things. Fury is in the air, but above all there’s the ghastly sound of horror. The music swings up and down so it’s quite melodic but it’s swinging up and down like a lead weight. The album continues in the same vein throughout. It remains atmospheric and there’s a dramatic build-up on “Revelations” which is like a Black Metal march. A mad violinist comes into it and supplements the deep orchestral sound on “Maere”, another lead-swinging track which has the added bonus of an eerie spoken part penetrating the gloom and enhancing the atmosphere. Despairing screams, majesty and pauses for reflection enter the dark scene to capture our attention.

I liked “Irreversible Decay” but I also felt some disappointment. The album has good atmosphere but lacked in range compared to the bands I have mentioned above. It tended to be either “rage” or “mellow”, yet there were some really good additional touches especially in the spoken and orchestral parts. The quality of playing was excellent. Many of the tracks sounded similar however and on my copy the gap between the tracks was so long that at the start I kept having to check whether it had finished. As a result, there was a loss of continuity. This is a production issue. I enjoyed “Irreversible Decay” but for me it was a bit shallow.
 
http://forum.deathmetal.be/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21465&start=0

The first album to review in 2011 for dm.be should be a memorable one, and how memorable has this “Irreversible Decay” become. The Belgian young, upcoming and very promising symphonic blackmetal band Saille presents us their debut, created by the better part of Belgium’s musicians. They are linked to some of Belgium’s finest metalbands to date (for instance: IN-QUEST, YCON, THE ARCHEST, FRACTURED INSANITY and FLESHMOULD) and have their own studio (Shumcot Studios, owned by Reinier Schenk who did bass on the album and plays the guitar live) so time was no issue. They did take all the time they needed, starting from September 2009 till the release date March 2011 and that sure has paid off.

The majestic composition are dreamy, epic, somewhat spooky and absolutely breathtaking. Thrilling might be another way to describe this fine slab of blackmetal that brings the TVseries “Carnivàle” to mind now and then. The desolate atmosphere created by threatening keys and utterly effective riffs are only to be topped by the icy vocals and fantastic rhythm section. The lyrics fit the music perfectly (who would have thought otherwise when you know Filip Dupont of Gorath was involved?) and there is absolutely no note one can say that is out of place or doesn’t fit. The music itself is very layered (apparently that wasn’t too easy for Reinier to master) and each listen brings forth other sentiments and other parts to discover, whereas the mix of acoustic parts and soundscapes with furious blackmetal has no equal in our country as of today.

Let it be obvious that next to GORATH, Saille is another original and exhilarating blackmetal band that doesn’t like to colour between the lines and with a label as code666 backing them up (think NEGURA BUNGET, FEN, …) it’s only a matter of how hard they will break through and not as must when of if it will happen. Definitely a must-have for fans of LIMBONIC ART, COR SCORPII and the likes.

97/100
 
http://www.metal.it/album.aspx/13634/10808/

Possiamo dire che la nostrana Code666 ha fatto un bel colpo prendendosi questi francesi Saille, un gruppo che suona un ottimo Black Metal in perfetto equilibrio fra classicismo e contemporaneità. Andando nei dettagli i Saille sono un progetto molto creativo e dal songwriting più che discreto, e riescono con molta disinvoltura a sovrapporre riff di chitarra taglienti e gelidi a ritmiche più complesse e robuste, il tutto impreziosito da arrangiamenti che invece vanno a pescare da samples e tastiere mai invadenti, ad ogni modo inclini ad utilizzare suoni più "sperimentali" e originali. Certo non stiamo parlando degli AboryM o dei The Kovenant, però è innegabile come i Saille non possano essere catalogati allo stremo del più classico Black Metal sinfonico di gruppi come Dimmu Borgir & co. Irreversible Decay è un album potente e ben strutturato e questo lo si evince grazie a canzoni come Passages Of The Nemesis, Overdose Of Gray e per quanto mi riguarda aggiungo pure Maere. Sanno dosare come si deve accelerazioni repentine e momenti in cui tutto rallenta per fare posto a ritmiche più cadenzate e dissonanti, e questi sono i momenti in cui i Saille tirano fuori il meglio di se stessi, sono pure gli istanti in cui secondo me si lasciano andare del tutto per fare emergere quella vena sperimentale che scorre dentro di loro, ma che per un motivo o per un altro ancora non esplode del tutto. Effettivamente hanno tutto il tempo davanti per crescere e progredire, allo stato attuale delle cose sono più che ascoltabili, e hanno ampi margini di evoluzione e miglioramento.
 
http://www.metallus.it/recensioni/irreversible-decay/

“Irreversible Decay” è il debutto discografico dei belgi Saille, band symphonic black metal nata nel 2008 dalle ceneri dei Mortifer e avente in line-up altri musicisti gravitanti nella scena estrema belga. Lo splendido e non banale artwork di Michal Karcz che racchiude il cd (marchiato Code666) è di per se un ottimo antipasto al mondo sonoro dei Saille, mondo in cui sono le ombre e le tonalità più scure della luce a scatenare l’attenzione e la fantasia dei musicisti in campo, primo fra tutti il mastermind Dries Gaerdelen, responsabile delle tastiere e delle voci clean, nonché di buona parte del songwriting.
I maggiori punti di riferimento artistici dei Saille sono ovviamente i Dimmu Borgir di metà carriera, quelli da “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant” in avanti, per intenderci, ma anche Limbonic art, Keep of Kalessin e le ultime cose degli Emperor. Un sound che partendo dal tradizionale black metal scandinavo allarga il suo spettro sonoro con partiture orchestrali, sinfoniche, e comunque ampio utilizzo di tastiere e synth. A differenza di quanto di aberrante è stato sentito in questo sotto-genere negli anni in cui era sulla cresta dell’onda, i Saille hanno il beneficio della misura, della sintesi e soprattutto del gusto, cosa che permette loro di comporre brani certamente complessi e mutevoli (e questo è chiaro sin dall’opener “Passages of the Nemesis”), ma che mantengono comunque una linearità di fondo nel discorso musicale.
L’approccio maturo a questa materia musicale è dopotutto indispensabile quando ci si impegna a suonare un genere per sua natura tendente alla complessità compositiva, dove tecnica strumentale e capacità in sede di arrangiamento sono indispensabili strumenti. Queste caratteristiche sono tutte ben presenti nei Saille, che non a caso nascono come gruppo da studio, e solo recentemente si sono allargati per poter suonare anche dal vivo, sede, questa sempre piuttosto critica per proposte musicali di questo genere (vedasi caso Cradle of filth).
“Irreversible decay” è un debutto che non fa dunque mistero delle sue ambizioni, ovvero lasciare un segno in un genere parecchio asfittico, e guadagnare una posizione di visibilità all’interno di un panorama ultimamente avaro di attenzioni. La band è molto coesa e il loro operato tecnico la dice lunga sulla passione e sulla convinzione con cui hanno portato avanti il progetto, professionale in tutti i suoi aspetti, compresa l’ottima registrazione e produzione.
I brani migliori del lotto, oltre alla già citata opener, sono “Plaigh Allais”, “Maere” e “Tremendous”, anche se è possibile sentire spunti interessanti in tutte le canzoni, compresi intro e intermezzi strumentali.
Essendo comunque un debutto la band deve ancora affinare le sue capacità di trasmettere la propria personalità, o, in altre parole, creare un stile più definito e ancor meno derivativo, facendo magari leva sul vocals più incisive o aumentando l’importanza dei piacevoli inserti folk. Per ora è da segnalare agli appassionati del genere e non solo la nascita di una nuova realtà capace di dire la sua in modo sicuramente valido e all’altezza della scena musicale internazionale.
 
http://www.magicfiremusic.net/chronic.php?cat=chronique&id=3605

Saille est un groupe assez récent dans le milieu du métal car fondé en 2008 chez nos voisins Belges.
Dries Gaerdelen, clavièriste de son état est l'instigateur de ce projet musical, cherchant à créer une musique aux influences théâtrales et grandiloquentes mêlées à la violence et la rudesse du Black Métal comme ont pu le faire avant lui Tartaros ou encore Limbonic Art.
Par la suite, le chanteur-guitariste de Mortifer: Jonathan Vanderwal se joindra a Dries tout comme Gert Monden et Reinier Schenk.
Du fait de la complexité de la musique de Saille, des musiciens additionnels prirent part au projet qui accusera du retard pour enfin paraître cette année.
Pour les prestations live, le groupe se voit renforcé par l'arrivée de Didier Vancampo et d'Yves Callaert, tout cela annonce déjà du niveau, et concrètement?

Irreversible Decay est le premier effort de Saille et celui commence donc par une intro de presque deux minutes nommée Nomen. Seulement menée par une guitare acoustique et des arrangements orchestraux, Nomen diffuse une ambiance mélancolique teintée de mystère avec l'apparition ça et là de cordes. Un sentiment étrange, une musique sombre teintée de secret, voilà ce qui nous mets en bouche pour la suite.
Une suite qui part dans un style autre avec Passages Of Nemesis. Là on attaque le gros du sujet à savoir l'aspect Black Metal de Saille. Tout y est: Blasts, Riffs acérés et jeu en shred, son heavy tirant dans les aigus, une basse ronde alourdissant la compo en arrière-plan, une voix écorchée et une batterie suivant des plans typiquement black, la recette est complète.
La compo bien que fonçant dans le tas dés le départ alterne les rythmes, des dissociations intéressantes au niveau des guitares ajoutent de la profondeur au titre: d'un côté la partie lourde à souhait et de l'autre, une partie plus mélodique et aiguë.
Un solo bien ficelé apparait contrastant avec la rudesse de la musique jouée depuis le départ, les nappes de claviers restent discrètes évitant de noyer les autres instruments comme j'ai pu l'entendre chez d'autres groupes.
La voix est hargneuse et colle avec tout ça, tout est cohérent et s'imbrique parfaitement même ce passage plus calme dégageant une ambiance secrète trouvée à l'écoute de l'intro.
Sans transition, cela enchaine avec Overdose Of Gray et ses claviers plus présents que sa prédécesseur renforçant une atmosphère froide, la double défile à un rythme monstrueux, calée comme un métronome, rien ne semble s'enrayer dans ces plans de batteries ultra-rapides, les descentes de toms se font à une vitesse et sans accroc, tout est en place musicalement parlant.
C'est de la pure violence, des riffs agressifs entrecoupés d'un passage aux arrangements bizarroïdes des plus originaux, les claviers lancinants font penser à un mauvais rêve, on peut même entendre comme un flot de plainte, ca dégouline de noirceur.
Les titres s'écoulent tout seul, plongés dans une musique noire, violente dégageant à la fois des sentiments de colère, mais de tristesse aussi, de mélancolie dans des ambiances presque épiques comme on peu l'entendre sur Revelations, un titre axé sur des plans de batterie à la caisse claire et des nappes de claviers théâtrales.
Maere et Tephra semblent liées entre elles, la première commençant comme une valse sombre retombant sur un black pur agrémenté d'une partie lancinante de violon qui ajoute une nouvelle nuance à ce flot de gros son, de blasts et de voix inquiétantes. L'aspect symphonique est plus développé donnant presque une ambiance mythologique reprise tout de suite après par sa suivante donc, gardant le même thème musical, ce sentiment tragique et le mélange entre une voix grave et psalmodiant et le chant black, le tout étant du plus bel effet.

Pour une premier essai Irreversible Decay est un album de qualité où les musiciens sont en place au poil, les compos carrées et cohérentes. Le seul reproche que je pourrais trouver est le fait que justement dans ce soucis de cohérence, elles se ressemblent sur plusieurs points notamment la composition des titres, alternant donc la musique black et les passages plus mélodique qui arrivent presque tous au même moment dans les titres et qui finalement ne surprennent plus. Ici, on a joué la sécurité et Saille délivre une musique taillée dans la masse et agréable (si, si!!), en espérant que la prochaine galette trouve son lot de surprise et ose la prise de risque.
 
Rock Tribune magazine (March edition)

Saille
Irreversible Decay
Code 666/Aural
Eerlijk is eerlijk: we hebben in dit landje slechts een handjevol bands dat echt international kan meedraaien. Soms is dat simpelweg wegens het ontbreken van een zekere X-factor, maar daarnaast is de profileringdrang simpelweg niet groot genoeg. Het is dan ook met een zeker genoegen dat we jullie willen voorstellen aan Saille, een uit het niets opduikende symfonische black metal act van Vlaamse bodem. Het betreft hier echter geen stel beginnelingen, maar muzikanten van verschillende bands (The Archest, In-Quest, Fleshmould,…) die hier samenspannen om iets heel anders te doen dan in hun vaste groep. En het eindresultaat mag er absoluut wezen, sterker nog: ze spelen samen hun ‘dagdagelijkse’ bands op een hoopje bijeen! ‘Irreversible Decay’ is namelijk meteen recht in de roos en gaat er behoorlijk pittig tegenaan. Na een knap akoestisch intro barst de hel al meteen los met het acht minuten durende epos ‘Passages Of The Nemesis’, een furieus snel brokje blackened death dat ons (met plezier) deed denken aan Necrophobic en Naglfar. De pakkende lead gitaren worden bijgestaan door epische toetsenlijnen, terwijl de raspende vocalen tekstueel venijn uitspugen in de stijl van Zahrim van Panchrysia. De toetsen vallen soms wat dun uit, maar werden gelukkig in de achtergrond gehouden en storen daardoor nauwelijks of niet. Qua tempo kan de band overigens alle richtingen uit, want Gert Monden mag met recht en reden de beste drummer van Vlaanderen worden genoemd (samen met Dirk Verbeuren) en eender hoe zeer de pees erop wordt gelegd, hij roffelt zich inventief door alles heen. In de meest epische stukken, zoals ‘Plaigh Allais’, doemde ook Keep Of Kalessin ons voor het geestesoog. Deze vergelijking wordt natuurlijk al snel gemaakt als het om snelle, doch melodieuze black metal gaat, maar ook qua songopbouw moet Saille nauwelijks onderdoen voor deze Noorse giganten. ‘Irreversible Decay’ is namelijk een erg sterke en gevarieerde schijf geworden die gerust enige internationale aandacht verdient, en dat zeggen we niet uit vals chauvinisme.
Morbid Geert
86
 
http://metalreview.com/reviews/6060/saille-irreversible-decay

It is no small secret that symphonic black metal has been in a lull for several years now. Really, calling it a lull is far too nice. A more accurate statement would be to say that it has gone to complete commercialized SHIT for the better part of a decade. Much like melodic death metal, a handful of bands gained massive levels of underground popularity around the turn of the millennium and then promptly let the sub-genre become cartoonish. The style’s greatest flag-bearer, Emperor, broke up as if to signal what should have been the temporary end, but unfortunately those other bands took it into bloated, overly melodramatic, theatrical, and just plain generic territory.

By keeping in mind what (almost) led to the style’s demise and doing exactly the opposite, Belgium’s Saille has produced an excellent debut in Irreversible Decay. The group was formed in 2008 by keyboardist and composer Dries Gaerdelen, who brought together a collection of musicians with the intent of creating aggressive yet symphonic black metal. This includes skilled performers at the normal metal positions but also some actual symphony musicians: two violinists, one cellist, and a flugelhorn player. By using real instruments – but only a few of them – the band finds a welcome balance in the symphonic side of their songs. The resulting music is absolutely loaded with killer tremolo riffage, well-placed Baroque passages, surprising variety with the keys (keep an ear out for the Hammond sound), some great lead work, and insanely-skilled drumming. Saille therefore finds themselves channeling and expanding upon bands such as Emperor, Keep of Kalessin, and even Vreid (the melodic parts, not the form-a-militia stuff).

It’s apparent pretty much from the get-go that Saille does two things mightily right. First, the root of their sound is black metal. This is not highly-simplified metal with an orchestra and blackened vocals pretending to be something it isn’t. This is naturally-produced and riff-obsessed sweeping black metal that also happens to have some strings and keys expertly woven in. The second thing is an extension of the first: the focus is on the songs, and the band’s sound is merely the vehicle with which they are delivered. While this should be an obvious goal for music of many styles, it has become increasingly rare in symphonic black metal over recent years, making Saille stand out instantly. Songs such as “Plaigh Allais,” with its swirling melodies and alternating guitar-string syncopations, or the beastly “Maere,” boasting an especially unforgettable tremolo theme, reveal the depth of song-craft on display on Irreversible Decay. Perhaps the best example is “The Orion Prophecy,” which builds rapidly to a section that shows exactly how great the symphonic metal combination can be when the musical themes are layered with a deft hand. Furthermore, the album as a whole maintains pace and shows a subtle progression throughout its 43 minutes, peaking with fitting finality on the appropriately-titled closer “Tremendous.”

For myself and hopefully countless others, Saille’s arrival is a welcome and oh-so refreshing one. Despite its title, Irreversible Decay shows that symphonic black metal’s decay was indeed not irreversible. This deserves to be mentioned alongside Drautran’s latest and Arkheth’s 2010 masterpiece as albums appealing to even the most estranged fans. We seem to only get one great album in this style each year, so enjoy it, and hold hope that Saille and their equals continue to reinsert a little class into a starved genre.

8.5/10
 
Deathmetalbaboon.com - http://deathmetalbaboon.com/album-review-saille-irreversible-decay

Artist: Saille (Belgium)
Album: Irreversible Decay (2011)
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Your 2010 Christmas presents included an awesome Symphonic Black Metal piece by the Belgian group Saille. I praised it for its care and eye for detail and its high level of professionalism. The song in questions, Maere, is just one of many found on the band’s debut record, titled Irreversible Decay, which is scheduled for release in a couple of months – on March 4th to be exact.


Lucky prick that I am, I’ve already got my hands on it through the band’s label Code666 and I’ll be discussing it now, in full fuckin’ detail. Code666 states: “fans of Keep of Kalessin, Carach Angren and Tartaros will love this blend of majestic and threatening Black Metal”. I can only agree, so if you are indeed a fan of those bands, all the more reason to read on.


So, playing this mother right now. First thing that stands out is the total playing time: over an hour and fifteen minutes! I don’t know what amount the album will switch owners for, but I’m guessing this’ll be a lot of Black for your buck! That’s what I thought at first sight in any case, but my player was deceiving me, as the band’s own Dries Gaerdelen pointed out just after publication of this review. Has something to do with the copy protection that adds a fictious virtual – you don’t actually hear any silence – amount to each of the songs, and in reality the album only covers around 45 minutes. Shortest song is an acoustic piece, adding up nearly two minutes minutes, whereas the longest puts in well over seven minutes.

Once again I’d like to stress the clear care and effort that has gone into this release. Symphonic Black Metal is usually a Metal band with one extra dude simulating an orchestra on his keyboard: fake. Saille on the other hand invited a couple of violins, cellos, bugles and trumpets to join the show: REAL! And that shows! This stuff sounds serious and I’ve got the feeling like I’m inside some sort of 19th century Hell movie. Sleepy Hollow atmospheres, so to say, but Metal. Demon souls from Hell coming to rip of your head, then BBQ it and enjoy it with a beer.



But there’s more than just despairing, frightening atmospheres. There’s room for beauty too, though there’ll always be at least a slightly dark undertone. That acoustic song I mentioned is an example, but there’s also a fingerlickingly good interlude in Plaigh Allais. Dries told me there’ll be a music video for that song out soon, and I had hoped it would be out by now so I could spoon feed it to you, but unfortunately it’s not there yet. Also means I haven’t got anything audible to include in today’s post unfortunately, but you’ll just have to click back to the earlier discussion of the Maere song that I linked to at the start of this post. Luckily that’s one of the best tracks on the album!

As you know, I like long songs, I was particularly interested in Passages of the Nemesis, which is the one of well over seven minutes. It’s an awesome piece of work, racing through different emotions and experiences. Heavy tremolo picking in the beginning, with softer, purer tones in the background, almost like the first discovering steps of a prisoner coming out of the cave in which he’s been held for half his life, and entering a new world – pretty much seeing what the album cover shows. Then there are raging riffs and screeching lead guitars tearing the sky apart. A short acoustic interlude and then a guitar solo makes the sky come down altogether. It lasts and it lasts and then leaves us in a world that’s desolate and depressing, but the song just tries to make the most out of it.

There’s another interlude, of clean electric guitar this time and it sketches a magnificent view that is slowly opening up, the clouds pulling away. Eventually the city of fuckin’ doom or something appears in the far distance and its spits out demons and mayhem like madness. In short, the song, like much of the album, is pretty depressing, and it keeps throwing shit at the listener. But also small bits of hope and purity, only to be smacked down by the ever-prevalent despair, until you finally grow mad.

It’s pretty much a given for the album. Destruction, doom, Death, hell are fixed ingredients in most songs, like onions, garlic and tomatoes go into pretty much every Italian dish. The difference is in the amount of hope you’re given before being tortured again. This album will not stimulate many of your guests at your birthday party to stay, but it can provide great accompaniment for depressed or sad moods, in which you don’t know what to do anymore. It’ll slap you hard in the face and tell you your life isn’t all that bad compared to the shit you’ll have to endure when you finally make it to hell. Better enjoy life while you still can.

To put it to you in short: this is an amazing album capable of instantly throwing your mood around and of playing with your sanity like a child plays with ants and spiders and pulls their legs off without remorse or consideration. It is majestic. It’ll also be a bit heavy for some people, so if you consider yourself to possess suboptimal mental strength, reconsider, or your mom might have to wash your brain pieces off the walls of your room. Else: get it as soon as you can!

My Grade: 9.0/10
Buy this when:

you would like Symphonic Black Metal if it didn’t have those Nintendo orchestras
you think happiness, cheerfulness and joy are highly overrated
you don’t deem yourself likely to impulsively blow your cerebrum out

9/10
 
http://www.pushtofire.com/musicreviews.html#article447
Saille - Irreversible Decay
Reviewed by Rachel Hand

What you think of Saille depends entirely on what you think of black metal. If soaring strings and choir synths, coupled with power drumming and insistent headbangable riffs are your thing, well, Saille will probably be your thing too. Although some (myself included) would tend to naysay, the popularity of bands like Satyricon or Opeth means many would beg to differ.

'Irreversible Decay' is the debut album of this Belgian band, formed by some European metal stalwarts in 2008. They claim the project is an attempt to capture the 'beauty of destruction', and true, there's a blend of chaos and softness immediately apparent.

There's also some great musicianship to be heard on acoustic tracks such as Nomen, or in the rapid chord changes of Overdose of Grey. At times, the heaviness gives way to a Tim Burton style soundscape, such as the twinkling introduction to Maere, or the strings section of Tephra. Mostly, however, this is a relentless barrage of drums and low screaming, overlaying the high-pitched wails of the synths. Each to their own, I suppose.

Out 4th March through Code666.
 
http://www.wingsofdeath.nu/content/36,11786

Saille is opgericht in mei 2008 door toetsenist Dries Gaerdelen, komt uit België en maakt symfonische black metal. Dries begon in eerste instantie voor zichzelf muziek te schrijven waar hij zelf naar zou willen luisteren. Vervolgens verzamelde hij toch wat bevriende muzikanten plus een tekstschrijver om zich heen om de muziek ook daadwerkelijk te kunnen uitvoeren. Eind 2009 werd begonnen met het opnemen van muziek voor hetgeen uiteindelijk de debuutplaat Irreversable Decay zal gaan worden. Deze was eind 2010 gereed en zal op 4 maart via Aural Music uitgebracht worden. Hoewel oorspronkelijk bedoeld als studioproject, de deelnemende muzikanten zitten immers allemaal ook in andere bands, is Saille inmiddels uitgegroeid tot een echte band. Een stabiele live line-up is samengesteld en Saille wil dan ook met Irreversable Decay in de bagage de Europese podia gaan bestormen.

Een vergelijking die me te binnen schiet na eerste beluistering is die van het Nederlandse Carach Angren. De muzikale benadering van beide bands is dan ook behoorlijk overeenkomstig. Black metal met een symfonische inslag, belangrijke rollen voor variatie en melodie, en nummers die werkstukken, verhaaltjes op zich lijken te zijn. Al vanaf het fraaie akoestische intro Nomen grijpt Saille je bij de keel om voorlopig niet meer los te laten. Passages of the Nemesis voert je vervolgens mee in een melancholieke stemming. De muziek klinkt zeker duister en drijft heel erg op sfeer, die de muziek dus blijkbaar heel goed op weet te roepen; bij mij in ieder geval wel.

Saille komt goed tot zijn recht in de dromerige, zweverige werkstukjes die de band weet te produceren. Of het nu gaat om het epische Plaigh Allais, of het korte en razende Revelations, de nummers kennen elk voor zich een verzorgde opbouw. Maere is een uitschieter door zijn fraaie intro en de spanning die het nummer oproept. De band weet tot aan afsluiter Tremendous het niveau ook goed vast te houden. Qua composities weet de band heel goed waar Abraham de mosterd haalt.

Het enige dat ik een beetje jammer vind is dat het toetsenwerk niet wat meer naar voren is gebracht, dat komt er nu enigszins bekaaid van af. Maar al met al heb ik geluisterd naar een goed verzorgd product, Saille laat horen dat black metal ook zeer verzorgd uitgevoerd kan worden, met aandacht voor fraai opgebouwde nummers met een episch, symfonisch sausje. Raakvlakken zijn er met het al genoemde Carach Angren, maar ook de landgenoten van Panchrysia of het Noorse Keep of Kalessin bevinden zich in een vergelijkbaar muzikaal landschap. Liefhebbers van deze bands kunnen zich gerust aan Saille wagen.
no score