Born from the ashes of Crown, France's YOUR INLAND EMPIRE carries forth a legacy of industrial angst and post-metal intensity. The quartet fuses the visionary partnership of Stéphane Azam and David Husser with the rhythmic power of Nicolas Uhlen and Marc Strebler, crafting a sound both cinematic and corrosive. The debut album embodies the "dark night of the soul": an introspective journey where light collides with shadow, melody with abrasion. Across eleven songs, YOUR INLAND EMPIRE weaves hypnotic hooks, visceral riffs, and a lyrical rawness that reflects years of turmoil, resilience, and transformation. Produced by Husser at La Grange Studio and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano, the record is steeped in sonic precision yet unafraid to descend into chaos.

The album has eleven songs, and "Scars" is first. It's a slow and gentle start, with keyboard notes and light vocals. Drum beats pick up, and it becomes louder, richer, and fuller. The sound is just a bit sad, but catchy. "There Is No Me" could be the first single or first hit released from the album to give music fans a taste of what they offer. It has a harder structure, more serious lyrics, and a rocking beat that will get you moving. "Grinding" has a smooth groove to it, fueled by spacy keyboards and a heavy, steady bass like. I also love the band's continued use of expletives. "Edge of Perfection" is heavier and darker, and in come some throaty vocals, a fast-moving riff, and healthy doses of bass guitar and keyboards. It's rowdy, energetic, and defiant, with a big middle finger extended.

"Silver Knife" is a slow, sauntering track, giving you a cool down and room to breathe. Marc's bass lines are excellent once again. It's an instrument that not enough bands feature as prominently. "Undone" brings the fierce energy back into the room, and the electronic beat will get your head moving. During the chorus, they add more keyboard and guitar layers to give it a sonic boom. "Venom" is exactly as the title sounds…a slow, grind with a weighted guitar riff, and plenty of darkness. The impassioned vocals tear through your flesh as a snake's venom would, leaving necrosis in its wake. It's about loving someone who is dangerous. "Sulfur" is another slab of Pop music. Catchy, groovy, and energetic, it's also just over the fence on the dark side.

"Chemicals" is slower and more powerful, and that entering riff is commanding. The verses are dark and smooth, and that riff returns in the chorus with throaty vocals to remind you it still rules. "Myself Destruct" is another groovy song. Some of the catchy melodies come from the keyboards, and others from the guitars, which they provide in a balanced manner. "I'll Be Your Night" is the album closer, and it's perfectly titled, accenting love and darkness…two things we are all attracted to. It sort of saunters in like a seductress…eye-catching, and pretty, and with other mysteries you will have to discover.

This album feels like a forgotten relic from the late '80s that has been carefully excavated, polished, and reimagined with modern sensibilities. Vocals drift between icy detachment and aching melancholy, perfectly suited to the genre's emotional palette. The songs carry that signature Darkwave introspection, but the Industrial edge gives them a bite that keeps the melancholic haze from ever feeling passive. Altogether, the album bridges synth-soaked memory and modern darkness. It's retro, it's current, it's immersive, and it hits harder than you expect.