ONIRISM is a one-man band from Montreal, Québec. Formed by Antoine Guibert (of BELENOS and HENTGARM), he experiments with synth, harsh vocals, drums and guitars, creating ambient, atmospheric black metal music. Here, lucid dreams are the inspiration of the ambience that is combined with the darkness of black metal. Released on 23^rd September, "Sun" is the second EP of ONIRISM, in the form of a 4-Panel DigiPak. We can see its name and cover continues the cosmic theme seen throughout their previous releases - "Cosmic Dream" (2016) and "The Well of Stars" (2016).

This recent release begins with a calm, electronic intro, that leads into the second track "To the Unknown" that continues this ambience. Here are fuller synth sounds, with what sounds like an accordion, contrasting with a melody played by high pitched metallic tones. Gradually, the full show is introduced - as pacing drums, distorted guitars and powerfully harsh vocals are drawn in. All instruments flow naturally, without abrupt transitions from one section to the other. On the third track "Heart of everything" I started to see this electronic ambiance is the pervading theme throughout this release, as I was introduced to its intro that almost rocked me to sleep. It takes the form of repeated light tones, that stand out against the encompassing harsh vocals, guitars and drums. At this point I was starkly reminded of MESARTHIM; with their dark, cosmic, and sequenced electronic melodies. Though, there is certainly a difference to MESARTHIM, with the music less chaotic, and more relaxed.

"Attraction" begins with a cold, repeating melody on the keys, followed by bass that adds rhythm. Electronic sounds soon become wet and dance-y, in punctuated, off-beat loops. The repetition of overlapping melodies induces a creepy trance throughout the whole track. The final song "Sun" starts with an oomph, led by powerful harsh vocals, with catchy chord changes on guitars that are followed by high pitched taps of the keys. Fluent guitar solos are melodic and experimental, adding some definition to the 'wavey' atmosphere. Antoine Guibert has experimented with a broad spectrum of synth sounds, from piano to electronic dance. This is what stands out for me, and is a change from ONIRISM's previous releases, which included epic, folky themes. "Sun" is a darker experiment, with more electronic ambiance; perhaps influenced by the rise of 'cosmic atmospheric black metal'. Unlike some bands in this area, ONIRISM blends all sides of the music so smoothly, you practically slide into space.