Search - Rentrer En Soi :: Sphire-Croid

Fallen from the pure white sky, wrapped in crystal

Ultra 5000 | The Space Station | 01/12/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Following up a stack of singles and ep's, Rentrer en Soi's ninth release fascinates with a billowing soundscape of enticing melancholy and exquisite detail.



"A Prelude" and "Crystal Letter" arrive immersed in wistful vocals, chiming guitars and breezy synth pads. Spacious, almost pastoral sections give way to chugging rhythms and jagged chord progressions, but the vocals retain a sense of forlorn romance throughout. The drummer's incongruously jazzy fills punctuate these changes in mood, and keep the proceedings from straying too far into straight rock/metal territory, even as the opening power chords of "Taikyou naru yousei yuugi" herald a track which deftly juxtaposes fragile sounds with brutal ones.



"Last Word" establishes a delicate mood with gentle acoustic guitar arpeggios, and unfolds into an ardent ballad. "Usu Koushoku" ups the rock ante, followed by the frenetic, sneering speedcore of "Iconoclasm." "Secret Stars" unspools a soaring vocal melody over a commanding backdrop of roaring guitars and shifting dynamics, and the album closes with the melancholy rocker, "Full Moon."



Clocking in at a concise 40 minutes, Sphire-Croid encompasses a wealth of seductive mystery, and lends itself readily to compulsive replays."