Obscure sounds from another world, lengthy guitar riffs, and horrific screaming in French tear through the silence, and drones fill the auditory realm, sometimes accompanied by the rumbling of slow-playing keys. The atmosphere created at the start of ‘Emprise’ takes you straight into an experience that feels just like the epic scenes from works such as Twin Peaks.

With the manic charge of “Cavalière de feu” , the album’s second track,  we witness the introduction of a rich and varied black metal instrumental with cosmic atmosphere. tempo has become faster and more hectic, and the vocals, deranged and imbued with horror and despair, carve deep into the somber essence of the album.

The most impressive of all the tracks for me might just be “Poussière Mortifère” –  the third song, which delivers an astonishingly beautiful and intoxicating cosmic black metal magic with reverberations and a piercing array of distortion. The melody lingers effortlessly, and it was thanks to this piece that I fully appreciated Sotte’s vocals –  the balance between her raw and emotionally charged calls and the coldness of black metal is in perfect harmony here, adding even more depth to the album. Coincidentally, it’s also the album’s longest track… yet I barely noticed it pass. It was simply  beautiful, and the atmosphere of interstellar dust swept everything else from my mind.

While the previous album introduced Time Lurker as a solo act with a few guest vocalists, at “Emprise” we experience the project in a more intimate setting as a duo. For the better,in my opinion. Sotte’s vocals  add a unique, ethereal atmosphere that naturally intertwines with Mick’s instrumental. Both instrumentals and vocals complement each other beautifully, creating a seamless synchronicity. The music on this album feels like  an immersion into another world where vivid visions lure you into losing yourself,  as phantoms without bodies in the shadows.

Fierce emotion shrouded in magnificence, sweeping soundscapes that evoke the sensation of gliding  through space…  This experience surely should be experienced firsthand. If you crave it, step into the unknown with Time Lurker’s “Emprise” and immerse yourself in its boundless interstellar darkness.

You can follow the official premiere of the album below:

Release date: November 15, 2024
Artist: Time Lurker
Title: “Emprise”
Style: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: France
Label: Les Acteurs de L’Ombre Productions
Link: https://lesacteursdelombre.net/product-category/preorders