Charnia are a post-metal band from Belgium and this is their second album.
Het Laatste Licht is a single 40 minute track that’s as ambitious as it is finely realised. This is a superlative piece of work where the worlds of dark ambient mood, neoclassical atmosphere, and post-metal build/release collide and merge to great effect.
Combining elements of doom, drone, ambient, post-rock/metal, and neoclassical, this is a layered and textured piece of music that explores various different moods and feelings throughout its playing time.
Several different movements are apparent as this lengthy track unfolds, each exploring a different facet of the band, yet all relating back to each other in one way or another. Pure ambience rubs shoulders with heavy post-metal/doom, with multiple stops at differing musical stations before, in the middle, and after.
This is music that’s hypnotising and engrossing. The layers of instrumentation are added to and enhanced by violin and double bass, both of which enrich the entire performance on this song.
This is, in many ways, a masterclass of the post-metal build/release mechanic, albeit a more elongated and sometimes subtle version of it. The band’s obvious skill in crafting music that flows and ebbs is wonderful to experience, either via soft, understated sounds, dramatic metallic atmospheres, or anything in between. There’s a fragility and delicacy here which forms the bulk of the music on this release, only shattering once the music is able to swell and gather its power no more, seeming to spill over into the heavier, crushing parts like a tidal wave of cathartic emotion.
Believe it or not, but there are vocals, both harsh and choral. These are sparse, low key, and uncommon features in this musical landscape, but make their presence felt at opportune times.
Het Laatste Licht is a 40 minute experience that should be undertaken with attention and immersion. Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 