Formed from the union of members from Crimson Moon, My Own Ghost and former members of Flowing Tears and originally Melechesh, Behind Your Fears are a five piece whose sound is primarily focused on the vocal style and delivery of front woman and pianist Stefanie Duchêne with the majority of the composition and execution behind leaning towards a gothic metal sound with atmospheric impact right at the forefront of the sound. With “Anthropocene” being the band’s second album, following up from 2018’s ‘Ophelia’, let’s see how things fare.
With the band having their roots in the late 90s/Early 2000s gothic metal scene, it’s no surprise that this seems to be the dominant aspect in the sound. You’re not going to get anything quicker than a moderate paced number and everything is going to be pretty steady rhythmically. The opening track “One Day” pretty much states this as fact. Despite its catchy riff hook intro which resurfaces throughout the track as a recurring musical motif with some harmonies and melodic variants, its straight up steadiness is there providing a solid platform for the powerful vocals to lead the way. Clear and controlled, there’s a good contrast between the dark sounding rhythm and the optimistic feeling yet sorrowful sounding vocals which in turn leads to a decent opening track which helps set the atmosphere for the release. “The Mask” brings in the bass dominated verse with haunting clean guitar arpeggios and subtle synth nudges to create a rich atmosphere which has a feeling of vulnerability to it, one which is quickly hidden away by the huge power-chord heavy chorus and transitions, effectively acting out the lyrical content.
Lead single “New Ways” is more groove orientated. It’s got a real thick sound with a booming low-end courtesy of the massive bass presence and intricate rolling drums. Pedal tone riffing locks in step pretty quickly and the lighter touch on the vocals adds some brightness, especially in the chorus where the pace is dialled back and the wall of chords comes crashing in with a melodic air and haunting edge. Again, the soft touch on the edge of the vocals helps convey plenty of emotion and it’s a good advertisement for the band and their sound. “Bandaged Eyes” has a bright and up-tempo intro. Its piano melody with rising guitar counterpoint creates a lifting feel which surfaces through the track and helps bring out shades of the gothic metal bands like Tiamat are known for. The rich sound easily turns on a dime to a formidable rockier approach for the big punchy chorus and the vocals have a little bit more of a fiercer edge to them in these sections. It’s short but it’s pretty catchy and a rather enjoyable track!
“Little While” has a big bass presence. The thick sound of the lower register dominates the verses whilst in the chorus the vocals stand out, especially with their impressive harmonies over the pounding chord work. Even as the track progresses, the vocal and bass dominance continues, once again creating an interesting dynamic in the sound. “Heartbeats” is a beautiful piano composition with rich and melodic vocals. The track has a very intimate feel to it and the way the string sections accompany it, augmenting both the low register work and the vocal melodies creates an all-round enjoyable sound and a good halfway point in the release. “Weakness” removes any sense of intimacy and openness as its darker tones begin to take hold. The deep swirling synths and rumbling bass are joined by a lingering progression of distorted guitar and bright keys before the vocals come in. Louder and more clipped in their delivery, they help build the tension which finally snaps as the main chord and drums come in. This build up and break pattern surfaces a few times in the track, helping drive it forwards, again bringing forth the more metallic elements of the gothic metal sound and this heavier approach works well as it continues into the next track. “Hollow” is a little less dynamic in terms of its delivery, opting for a more steady groove driven approach but don’t be fooled, the thick and chunky chugs hit hard and even the brief lull which allows for the big bright vocal sections to enter still packs a punch.
“Shattered Mirrors” follows a similar approach to the previous track. Steady paced in its verses, it has a brighter tone to it at first but as it shifts to the chorus sections the darkness begins to seep in as it begins to pick up the pace with the shifting chord patterns and keyboard melodies slipped in on top of the thick rhythm beneath it. “DNR” brings in more piano work. The high note drone beneath the lower register melodic work is joined by pounding drums, steady bass and massive guitars and it helps build up a big presence. As it shifts to the verse, a primarily bass and drum dominated section, the vocals take centre stage. Captivating in their delivery, the melodic quality of the vocal line pulls you in and when things come in for the chorus, it packs a punch with its energy. It slows down a little in the halfway section. Bright and crisp guitar chords with deep bass are joined by a distorted spoken word segment which has a haunting edge to it before it begins to pick up the pace. The bass surges to life, piano chords stab away and guitars finally crash in like a wave, leading to a big chorus once more. The way the whole track works is fantastic and makes it probably the best track of the album. Closing the album is “Lullaby”. Opening up with a sample of a flatlining heartbeat, it slips to a haunting piano and vocal piece. Like some of the tracks before it in this style, the string accompaniment really adds an extra edge and intimacy to the track. The rich vocal sound and warm instrumental delivery creates an intimate atmosphere and it works well as the closing track to a very expressive album.
In all, “Anthropocene” is an enjoyable release. It strikes the right balance in terms of atmospheric impact and musical focus. It is clear that the compositions and arrangements aim to highlight the vocal work on this release and that focus does well in showcasing the talent there but it does not detract from the rest of the band. From the powerful guitar and bass to the pounding drums to the intimate piano lines, it all works in harmony with the vocals to create a solid slice of atmospheric gothic metal. This is well worth a listen.
(7.5/10 Fraggle)
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