À L'OMBRE D'HÉMÉRA is a Post-Metal/Post-Core band out of Lévis, Québec. They were formed back in 2015 and this is their second release. They did release their first album back in 2017 titled ''Le Mur des Ombres''. Post-Metal and the province of Québec go hand and hand together, we were one of the first to really grasp that movement. We embraced it with open arms and one of the best bands of the genre is from here called GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR. They were at the forefront of the genre and rivalized with the best of the bands from the US like NEUROSIS, ISIS among countless great ones. You have to have an open mind to really appreciate the genre and honestly, it took me more than 10-15 years to fully comprehend and enjoy the music to its absolute fullest.

I have a love-hate relationship with the French Language, yes I am a French-Canadian living in the good old Province of Quebec but never felt the French language was lyrically proficient. French is a very specific language with a lot of rules and regulations that dictate it and as much as it's a beautiful language, I never really felt compelled by French speaking artists. I always felt the language fell flat and was a bit redundant and cheesy. Well, À L'OMBRE D'HÉMÉRA may have picked my interest because the lyrics are really compelling.

À L'OMBRE D'HÉMÉRA was a band that instantly appealed to me. On the search for more bands within the Post Metal genre, I came across this band. They bore somewhat a resemblance to the irresistible material of bands like CULT OF LUNA and ISIS, which are two of the most well known bands in the genre. I think in our musical lives, we can all relate to a time where we can finally come to understand some genres of music (like I said previously), bands or in this/my case, a very remarkable EP.

What make this album truly special and the songs so memorable is the cohesive song writing. Even though are only talking about three songs, songs about our inevitable fate, you have a sense of deeper understanding. For people that don't know French, the translation of the songs  ''Reep what you sow'', ''The End of the Cycle'' and ''Towards the Big Empty''. They talk about the trials and tribulations of the lives we live. What we do, everything we do is a calculated risk and what we do (good or evil) will have an impact on our lives. Our lives are dictated by our actions and we are our own architects in a sense but we all know what happens at the end. The unknown has fascinated many and the afterlife is something that is truly blurry at best. The End of the Cycle of life might be the beginning of another but no one knows for sure. I highly enjoyed the lyrical themes on this EP and shows a lot of maturity.

You have to have a great vocalist in Post-Metal do really stand out and Miguel Bélanger does a great job and he is the catalyst of the band. The vocals constitute an integral part of the music though, often accentuating the heavier parts with the harsh tones, and the more mellow parts with clean vocals. The tone of the album fits well with it's content, highlighting many of the themes brought about by the lyrics. The band is solid and for Do It Yourselfers, it's impressive the quality of the production at hand.

The songs are long enough without becoming overly tedious and they don't fall in the trap of doing drawn out songs that are not so memorable. You have intricate guitar work that reveal some very talented local musicians. They have truly found their sound and if you are a fan of early ISIS, NEUROSIS, this album will please you.