YEAR OF NO LIGHT - "NORD" [CD / LP - Crucial Blast] Clearly heard in their debut album, "Nord", Year of No Light draw their influences from a diverse selection of music. The band have the passion and power of America's 'Gospel', the energetic lead and rhythm guitar sound heard in the music of 'Envy', the crushing bass guitars similar to 'Knut' and a vocal sound slightly evocative of the more juvenile 'Isis' records such as 1999’s Mosquito Control. It is immediately clear, right from the opening track of this French quintets album why they have played gigs with bands such as Isis and Explosions in the Sky. Clocking in at just under an hour, "Nord" is a musical experience that demands your attention. The first few tracks of this album are basically an introduction of what is to come, showing their musical skills. and showcasing their musical flair. It is not until the third track, "Traversee" that we see the musical talent and the bands ability to code-cross musical techniques of development, from Envy to The Ocean or Old Man Gloom, in a short duration of 9 minutes on an exhilarating rollercoaster of a musical feat. As the album progresses the guitar riffs become more energised, the time changes become more monumental and the band become all the more impressive. It's hard to highlight individual tracks to bring to light the incredulous guitar playing, as the songs peak in their own way in each track. There are numerous moments throughout this album where we are sucked into a warp of hypnotic bass lines, but none quite as mind-warping as "Somnambule." This track is more than slightly reminiscent of a number of Justin Broadrick's musical efforts, transforming from the bands earlier chrysalis of 'post-metal' to a fully developed Sludge / Industrial sound which powerhouses the bands talents in full throttle towards another 9 minute monster of a song. This industrial trend remains audible until the death of the album, when it meets an apocalyptic ending in the final track "La bouche de Vitus Bering." Overall, this is a killer record and Year of No Light are definitely a band who has great things coming towards them. David Cunnelly >> READ ON		YEAR OF NO LIGHT "Thanks to local weed and foreign mushrooms, the recording sessions for Nord quickly became a day to day celebration of holy smoke and unholy nights." Words | Pierre "Nord", our first album, is the product of a long and non-linear story. YONL originally started at the dawn of the millennium. At the time, the band was an instrumental project: the Sebenne brothers brought the rhythm-section, Jérôme Alban was on keyboards and Christophe Mora, a French DIY anarcho-punk hero, was on the 6 strings. A year later, the lineup evolved and the band reached its current form. We wanted to create music that was both loud and celestial --a kind of mix between the gates opened by Neurosis and Codeine coupled with a strong fascination for shoegaze pioneers like Slowdive and Ride. Let's also mention the "four D's": Joy Division, Darkthrone, Disembowelment and Debussy. Here is a non exhaustive list of YONL's favorite source of inspiration: My Bloody Valentine [Loveless!!!], the Swans, Michael Gira, Angels of Light, Palace, the early works of Isis ["Red Sea"], Fennesz, Deathspell Omega, Richard Youngs, Debussy, Brian Eno, Pink Floyd, Neurosis, Black Sabbath, Codeine, Slow, Slowdive, Breach [Venom], Eyehategod, Three Mile Pilot, Explosions in the Sky, Moho, Mono, Buried at Sea, Old man Gloom, Neil Young, The Impressions, Hot Snakes, Reverend Bizarre, Arab on Radar, Goblin. In 2004, YONL quickly recorded a demo in two days on an 80 dollar budget. The band was still looking for it's sound [but the music was there], and some songs from the demo will be found on "Nord." A year later, the making of the album began. We left our old town of Bordeaux, an old conservative city, proud of its fucking wine and ruled by a strong bourgeoisie -- and moved to Switzerland, homeland of Celtic Frost, banks and chocolate. Our objective was to admit our "Neurosis-like" foundation and, in the same time, try to subsequently embellish it with shades of noise rock, hardcore punk and ambient drones. We didn't want to create a concept album: there isn't any sort of narrative thread that listeners should look for. Nevertheless, we tried to make an album which would have a certain unity, an album that the listener could listen to from the beginning to the end, a kind of trip. "Nord" was recorded at Geneva by Serge Morratel [Knut, Tantrum...] at Rec studio. The recording sessions lasted 10 days and the mix took 5 days. Facing the suburbs of Geneva and the surrounding mountains, his studio provided a good place to witness the metaphysical crash of our shitty modernity. Thanks to local weed and foreign mushrooms, the recording sessions quickly became a day to day celebration of holy smoke and unholy nights. We think that you shouldn't scream too loud if you don't want to have anything to do with the police! What else could be added? Perhaps the psychedelic nocturnal meeting with local "gang members", dressed like gangsta cop killers and as dangerous as our grandmothers. Here, the ghetto's youth doesn't sell crack, don't burn anything: they are more into GTA on their playstation! Children of the Grave? Hail Satan! Year of No Light - Dour Festival 2007 BACK TO TOP