It’s ethereal, it’s blistering, yet it’s full of peace and beauty. Utopie, the 4th full-length album from France’s Aephanemer, out now via Napalm Records, showcases a perfect blend of orchestral might and classic rock. It touches the top of the mountain and echoes through the bottom of the valley. It’s a master class in philosophy and what it means to think about what your actions do and where they are bringing you. Just close your eyes and let the wonder wash over you.
“We are very satisfied in the band with how the album came out,” boasts guitarist, bassist, and orchestrator Martin Hamiche. “We can’t wait for it to be released because we worked on it for so long that we have no idea how it’s going to be received. That’s always the case when we release an album, but this time, we don’t even know if people will notice a difference between this album and the previous one. We are satisfied and we are really eager to get some feedback from our audience.”
Utopie follows 2021’s critically acclaimed A Dream of Wilderness. Burgeoning with symphonic elements partnered with exquisite melodic metal, it questions our chase for utopia as a final destination, turns it on its head, and delves into what it takes to get there.
“The idea that Marion (Bascoul, guitar and vocals) had when she wrote the lyrics was about someone who would try to get to recover some hope about the future. A better world, a better situation. We really thought about what would be the utopia for us, because utopia can be a lot of different things. For us, specifically, it will be a world where there is a better balance between humanity and nature.”
With Slavic folk undertones expertly mixed with the heavy classical influences, this album proves that anything is possible; it’s just a matter of making it happen, even if it took four years to fully come together.
“It was very tedious,” explains Hamiche. “Orchestration is a real job. There are people who are orchestrators, and they do that all day. They know that you are supposed to follow the process in a certain order, and I didn’t know all that. It took me a lot of time because I restarted everything a few times. I tried to make something work, then it wasn’t working. I built something here from scratch; I learned through trial and many errors.”
The group has been around for over a decade now, forming in Toulouse, in the south of France. Hamiche, Bascoul, and drummer Mickael Bonnevialle have stood the test of time and proven their worth, over and over. While Hamiche writes all the music himself, and Bascoul handles the lyrical content, the formula is sound and produces pieces of work that will stand the test of time.
“I’m proud of myself, but also of the entire band, that we never lost hope,” admits Hamiche. “When you’re in a band, like everyone else, almost every day there’s an issue to be solved. There is bad news all the time, and sometimes you want to give up and stop. But what are you going to do? I’m proud that we always thought of solving every problem we have, and that we are exactly as hopeful as before. I’m proud that we still have the positive, hopeful, optimistic mindset, because it helps a lot to be happy.”
Utopie is out now, and you can order it from Napalm Records. Follow Aephanemer on Facebook and Instagram for future updates.
Photo Credit: Melody Morana
