SILJAN: Collapsology (POST ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Siljan is a band from Marseilles who released a first album in trio configuration made up of guitarist-singer Guillaume Arnaud and the two Jules, Bouisson on bass and Pelletier on drums. As the trio embarked upon the adventure of their second album, they welcomed cellist Johanna Renaud to consolidate Siljan's hard core.

While it is not uncommon for rock bands to use the violin, it is more original to choose the cello. The least we can say is that this presence is not the result of a cosmetic approach to fill some empty spaces in wobbly compositions. No, Johanna is a full member of the group and her instrument is an essential element of Siljan's sound. The trio had a bright idea in letting Johanna demonstrate the great richness of the cello through an extensive use to install some tension, weave melancholic atmospheres or bring a touch of poetry.

Siljan's great strength lies in his instrumental talent and each musician excels in his technical score. A mastery that allows them to give body to a polymorphic music, playing on the chiaroscuro inside the songs with almost atmospheric passages and pure metal riffs. And although the production is not doped with growth hormones, which allows all the instruments to stand out clearly, and the particular colour of the cello blurs the markers, it is indeed powerful prog rock that we are talking about here ('Dusk', 'Delicate Matter', 'Poseidon', 'Collapsology'). A progressive rock/metal with a broad definition that appears epic (the toolien 'Dusk', 'Only Earth' and its rise), groovy ('Wisdom', 'Antwork'), jazz ('Extinction', 'Changes', 'Liberation') or dark ('Delicate Matter', 'Only Earth', the instrumental 'Extinction') and all this without dispersing or accentuating the complexity of the result.

The vocals parts are the result of a meticulous and quite remarkable work on the quality of the melodies ('Antwork', 'Poseidon'). They appear as a veil of sensitivity that is humbly placed on an imposing instrumental edifice, as if the human presence, symbolised by the voices, had to remain in its measure in front of something that surpasses it. It is regrettable, however, that this sector, which would have gained in volume if it had been consolidated by choirs, is not at the same level of excellence as music. This is indeed the only reservation that can be expressed when listening to this "Collapsology", surprising by its harmonic maturity and its original sounds.

In "Collapsology", Siljan deals with strong and contemporary subjects centred around the concept of "collapsology" by playing on the listener's capacity to create sensations and images for himself. Listening can take on an extra dimension in concert because, like Steven Wilson's work, Siljan completes his performances with visuals in harmony with the music. With their second album, Siljan's French band strikes a big blow and allows us to discover an intense and singular progressive rock/metal that will delight fans in search of new experiences. - Official website

SILJAN

COLLAPSOLOGY

AUTRE LABEL

POST ROCK