This one’s a bit interesting. I was aware of this record for quite some time that year, and listened to it on & off quite a bit back then, but for whatever reason it didn’t quite grab me as hard as all of the albums I’ve looked at throughout a good chunk of this year. It wasn’t bad by any means, and it was most certainly enjoyable, but it didn’t click more with me until a few years down the road. Now, over 5 years later, I’ve come to regret not putting this release on my top 5 list back then. Still, it seemed right to truly close out my retrospective on 2020's music with this one. So, sit back, jack into the web, and enjoy my review for Lord Vigo’s 4th album, Danse De Noir. Let’s begin!
Background
It’s a bit difficult to find information on these guys, as they’re a foreign band (Germany). A trio of a band, there’s Vinz Clortho on drums & vocals, and both Tony Scoleri & Volguus Zildrohar on guitar and drums, and as it’s described on their bandcamp:
“Evil, loud and paranormal, LORD VIGO is one of the best and most productive Epic Metal bands of our times. Hailing from Germany, they already have released three studio albums
and they descend the army of angry spirits upon the Earth to deliver Epic Doom Metal with NWoBHM-guitar harmonies and scatterbrained organs. A ghostly vague chimera of sound destined to haunt you.”
The funny thing is, I had never heard of this band until early 2020 if you can believe it. I just randomly watched a music video for one of the songs off this album, and something about it got a hook in me. Maybe not strongly, but it did. Then, on the 10th of April in that year, Danse De Noir was released. Their prior 3 records were all inspired by different things within pop culture, and their 4th one is no different. Being massively inspired by Cyberpunk and classics within the genre like Blade Runner, and I believe this release was the first time that keyboards & sound effects were used (Haven’t listened to anything before).
Basic Description
Cyberdoom.
A bit of a strange way to describe things, but hear me out. In one corner, you’ve got Doom Metal. It’s slow, atmospheric, grim, and has a nice pace. In the other corner, you’ve got Cyberpunk in both music and mood. It’s also slow (Though sometimes it can pickup a little speed), atmospheric, grim, and has a nice pace as well. Despite coming from 2 different worlds instrumentally, vibe wise there’s actually a lot in common with these two, and thus the mix works surprisingly well with one another. Neither aspect of Danse De Noir ever overpowers the other, and what you get is music that you could put into any Cyberpunk Game and/or Movie, as well as a soundtrack to a great Cyberpunk novel. Pretty versatile in my opinion!
Best Track
Danse De Noir on principle alone is the best track of the album, and considering that from top to bottom the album is filled with nothing but great songs, that’s saying something. It’s a slow & brooding number, with a pace that just creeps along as it plays out. The instrumentation is powerful and emotional, & Vinz Clortho’s vocals really pulls on your emotions rather strongly. The Cyberpunk aspect comes in pretty strongly also, but never overwhelmingly so, as there’s sound bites from Blade Runner, and other little effects that make the track come across as more futuristic. Certainly very tasty!
Danse De Noir
However, Between Despair and Ecstasy kinda comes out of nowhere towards the end. The only track that’s faster than anything else on the album, it’s got a bit of a Thrash Metal vibe to it because of the faster speed, as well as it’s attitude. It really surprised me when I first heard it, simply due to the fact that I didn’t expect it! Even with the faster speed, the Doom Metal/Cyberpunk atmosphere is never lost at all, as the instrumentation isn’t played too fast, and helps hold up the rest of the music well.
Between Despair and Ecstasy
Worst Track
Danse De Noir really doesn’t have any faults to it’s name. It’s a great record from top to bottom, with nothing in the way of a bad track by any means. IF you want to be at least a little picky, there are 3 soundscape tracks (The Voight Kampff Situation, Are You Human?, Fiery the Angels Fell) that feel like they take up space, but to play devil’s advocate they also provide quite a bit of atmosphere to the record. Also, if you’re not a fan of Doom Metal pacing, then you might not like this release as a whole.
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:
Danse De Noir
Overall Impression & Rating
Danse De Noir is the sleeper hit record for me from 2020. While I definitely liked it back then, nowadays I think it’s a masterpiece of the 2020's that deserves to be standing right next to many of my number one albums I’ve talked about these past few years. The mix of genres creates an experience that’s really unique, and entertaining as well. The truly picky might criticize a track or two as well as the pacing, but those people are few and far between.
Danse De Noir gets a 9 out of 10.
And that was my review for Danse De Noir. An album from the most diseased year of this decade that came out of nowhere, the mix of styles creates a unique experience that anybody who’s curious at the very least. Whether you like Doom Metal or Cyberpunk, Danse De Noir is for you. So, tomorrow is the first of September, and I’ve got some special, & after that my look at the Blizzard Of Ozz begins. See you tomorrow!
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If you’d like to support these guys, then click on the link below:
Lord Vigo (Bandcamp)
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