DYSYLUMN is a two piece Blackened Death metal band hailing from France.  Despite their country of origin, their sound is as cold and harsh as the north winds.   Production wise, the sound is very raw, with the guitars up front while the vocals hang back in a bit within the mix.  This works to create a weathered, Dystopian sound; no doubt the band has done this on purpose, and it certainly works for their sound, but, personally, I would had enjoyed Besson's vocals a bit more loud.  He has a very throaty growl, a good mix between lower and higher pitched Death Metal vocals but with enough of a raw edge to give it a Blackened feel. Besson's bass is very well done; it definitely helps fill up the bulk of the band's atmosphere, a nice contrast to the guitars that, while well played, a bit thin on the production side of things.

While much of the sound is traditional sounding Black Metal, the band enjoys employing slower tempos and bleak melodies, often times reminiscent of Gothic and Doom Metal.  The band doesn't switch back and forth between the two but rather mix them seamlessly.  Not only does this keep their sound fresh and interesting but it also gives them a progressive aspect. Faure-Brac's drums are furious and on point but they aren't a non stop barrage of snare attacks, like so often heard in the genre.  The first track, an intro called "Ouverture," is actually pretty interesting in its brief run; the drums and ambient noises give it a tribal feel to it, but one of alien origin instead of human. The intro flows straight into the first proper track, "Allegorie du Temps," a picture perfect example of the assault that Black Metal can have on the senses.  The track isn't all balls out fury, especially with the bass which goes from full speed to a subtle rumble, like a tremor just inches below the surface.

"Anechoique," has an atmosphere that is enriched by the cascading drums and the screams and growls.  The guitar lead and bass play a passage from 3:15 to 3:54 that is a well thought out mix of Gothic melancholy and numbing coldness.   Not willing to be stuck on one particular style, they throw in some doom on the track, "Embrasement."  It begins with the guitar on a heavy blanket of sound and the drums filling out the void but leaving a space for the growls to edge their way inside.  The song is like a slumbering giant slowly beginning to arise after a long sleep.  The song speeds up to break neck speeds before once again turning the music down to a crawl, once again the harrowing rumble finding a way to connect the song as a whole. I liked this album, overall, although some of the songs tended to drone on a bit longer than needed.  Still, DYSYLUMN's "Occultation" is a solid black metal album and one that fans of the genre should check out if they like a nice mix of faster, hard hitting parts mixed with slower, darkened, melodic passages.