Riviẽre
Heal
(Basick Records)
French metal tends to have flair for the dramatic and grandiose- think Gojira, The Great Old Ones, and Hypno5e. No matter how heavy things get, there’s a sense that these bands create music in the same way that the best filmmakers do- once through isn’t enough to appreciate everything going on here. Basick Records’ latest signing certainly fit the pretty mold with the gorgeous Heal. The record is so assured and powerful despite playing around with different styles; there’s no way this is Riviẽre’s debut. Yet, here we are, having the ability to appreciate one of the most impressive prog debuts in recent memory.
What makes Heal so interesting is how gracefully it plays around with numerous sounds. A large part of what makes the band tick is the rampant, slightly off-kilter vocal melodies. They help group the expansive, and oftentimes, heavy music swarming around them. Arnaud Laffont’s tenor definitely takes some time to get used to, and he doesn’t always aim for expected vocal progressions, which works for and against the band. That said, he’s always assured (though not cocky), which makes it easier to just go with the majestic flow. Laffont’s vocals serve as a nice focal point to ground the melange of prog metal, post-rock, post-hardcore, and hints of 80s electronic (with an extended saxophone solo!). The name of the game here is mostly a slightly djentrified mixture of notable influences: Deftones, dredg (remember when they were around and good?), Karnivool, and Cult of Luna. The impressive low-end is amplified by a nice bass presence in the mix, resulting in more of a post-metal feel than a desire to use groove as a crutch.
That said, it’s important to distinguish a great idea in on paper from one that is riveting in practice. Heal is really an incredible joy to listen to, one that really gets better with time. Aside from the odd vocal melody choices mentioned above, there’s really little to complain about; instead, it’s just easy to sit back and appreciate a new band somehow already operating at nearly peak performance. Individual tracks don’t completely filter themselves above the fray, but that’s more of a case for this being a cohesive listen than anything about a lack of quality (OK, “Satin Night” is quite incredible). If this is their debut full-length, Riviẽre has the potential for future classics in them.
