Year Of No Light – Ausserwelt (2010)

Around the same vein as Ufo Mammuth, we have Year Of No Light, and band that does great justice to its name by playing mesmerizing Ambient Doom with Shoegaze influences that will take you in a dark voyage with a considerable lack of light. Hailing from France, this band has a very crushing sound, mostly due to the fact that they have three guitar players and two drummers, one of the richest line-ups we have ever seen in a band.

“Ausserwelt” is a 48 minute journey into a dark and desolate place that features a very rich and powerful soundtrack. With 4 tracks the band manages to create a super thick atmosphere that only a handful of bands are capable of. This album is not for the weak of mind and will surely blow yours away with every listen you dedicate to it.

“Ausserwelt” starts off with “Persephone (Enna)” a track that sounds similar to Alcest and other Shoegaze bands out there. However the dense distorted guitars give the music the crushing sound that separates this band from the rest. There is both melody and crushing atmospheres going on at the same time and they beautifully complement each other. Halfway through the song the pace changes into a more Doom Metal style passage, but always keeping the dreaminess of the music.

Continuing to “Persephone (Core)” we go into a bit of a stupor with some droning elements further captivating the listener. Being the shortest of the 4 tracks, this song features a chaotic section that feels like a downward spiral.

We will not get into more details about the last two tracks, allowing the listeners to experience them for themselves, but we can say that there are faster paced sections and even some almost Black Metal style pounding drumming, while maintaining the whole think atmosphere that this album creates since the first few minutes.

Many people might argue that the songs are too long, but for people that truly appreciate this type of music; they can never be long enough. We think that the way the album is divided into the four tracks, allows such monumental creations to flow nicely and keep the listener engaged.

Year Of No Light is a very interesting and different band, so if you like Ambient Doom, Drone/Sludge Metal and Shoegaze, you will love this band. “Ausserwelt” is a massive release that will take a few listens to fully appreciate, but once that door is opened, we are sure you will never be able to close it back again.

Release: April 26th, 2010

Country: France