ASH TWIN PROJECT: Tales Of A Dying Sun (PROGRESSIVE METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Unless you're familiar with the galactic adventure video game “Outer Wilds”, the name Ash Twin Project might lead you to assume that we're dealing with another short-lived progressive rock project from across the Atlantic. In reality, it's a made-in-France band of progressive post-rock with hints of Leprous, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, even Jinjer and Arch Enemy for its female vocals, sometimes growled.

If “Tales of a Dying Sun” is inseparable from Outer Wilds, the album's concept being intimately linked to the spirit of the game, rest assured that being a stranger to the theme in no way prevents you from enjoying the album. Ash Twin Projects' music is rich and varied, and starts off with the beautiful ‘Cœlacanthe’, which may or may not be reminiscent of Deftones on the intro, not in terms of the genre or the vocals, but rather in terms of the harmonies and rhythmic progressions of the guitar. It's all about the unconventional chords contributed by Romain Larregain and Robin Claude. It's not only beautiful, it's moving.

After a pleasant atmospheric pause on ‘The Wilds’ comes the grandiose ‘Isolation’, magnificent from start to finish, especially after its epic relaunch with a beautiful break right in the middle of the track. Ash Twin Projects plays music for the heart. There's no question here of showing off with technical gimmicks, but rather of the band taking us into their world and telling us a story. It's sincere, it exudes authenticity and it feels good. To return for a moment to the technical side of things, the whole thing is certainly elaborate, convoluted at times, but it's never too much, like the sober guitar solos, à la Pain of Salvation. The bass-drums pairing is not to be outdone, for its unfailing support of elaborate music.

Finally, the only downside to this album is that it leaves you a little hungry, as it's a 5-track, 37-minute EP. Given the work they've put into it, we might have expected one or two more tracks to turn it into a more traditional album, but perhaps the recent trend towards EPs has decided otherwise. Be that as it may, Ash Twin Projects is a fine discovery, and we hope they'll repeat the exercise. - Official website

ASH TWIN PROJECT

TALES OF A DYING SUN

KLONOSPHERE

PROGRESSIVE METAL