Formed in France in 2013, ETOILE FINANTE translates to "shooting star" in English. Following the release of an EP in 2014, the band is now back with their debut full length, titled "Magnum Opus Caelestis," which contains three lengthy tracks, and the last song, which is only four minutes in length.

The title track leads us off, and it's a whopper, at 22 minutes in length. Pretty, hushed tones open the song, with a bit of keys. The Black Metal sound soon ensues, led by screechy vocals and some nifty guitar work. It slows around the half-way mark, taking some breaths, with some trippy atmosphere in the background. The sound grinds to a near halt, and then picks back up again with a fresh, melancholy riff. It finishes with regal and ominous tones.

"Feu Promethee" opens with hushed tones, and some light trippy elements again. I like how they use these sparingly. It creates some real atmosphere among the despondent tones. Some lead guitar work appears and this is pretty unusual for the genre. The vocals cut hard against the music, which straddles that line between hope and despair for the entire song. Sometimes, the notes give you hope, while other times they turn dark. It also takes several pauses along the way, sounding like tones that might come from outer space.

"Icare ou la chute des corps celestes" opens again with hushed tones. When the Black Metal sound arrives, it is pretty in-your-face. The guitars create these mesmerizing tones and that familiar one-two step note pattern carries the song forward for some moments. It then drops again to quietness. It picks back up with a slightly different, more depressive sound. "Koyaanisqatsi" closes the album, with thick and deep organ notes, leading to a slowed down grind, as if the end of the world is upon us. They are really quite good at pushing the emotions here.

Overall, I really like what I heard here from the album. There are enough traditional Black Metal elements to keep it steeped in the traditions of the genre, but with enough experimentation to keep it interesting. I appreciate the trippy elements as well...it gives the album an edge and sets it apart from the thousands of other bands playing this style of music, and it take you to a journey to the far recesses of the universe, leaving all of your earthly woes behind. Well done, mates!