Hidden In Eternity – A Tout Jamais
French gothic doomsters Hidden In Eternity have returned after what seems to be a fifteen year absence with “A Tout Jamais”, a fifty minute follow up to 2005’s “On The Ninth Day”. Before receiving this album in my inbox I was completely unfamiliar with Hidden In Eternity, but researching them threw up a few interesting nuggets including a revolving door of band members that rivals that of Cradle Of Filth, frontman Nereide being the only permanent fixture. This, unfortunately, is where the interesting elements of this band end.
“A Tout Jamais” is a disorganised mess of uninteresting riffs, banal repetition and amateurish production. Unsurprisingly this album is self released, most likely because no record label worth their salt would agree to release a record of this calibre. It actually pains me to say this because while this release is hideously sub-par, it still comes across as though it has been a labour of love of sorts for Nereide. One doesn’t spend fifteen years away and return without having genuine passion in what one does, but passion in this case is not a substitute for ability.
After a forgettable opener we are subjected to 'In Absentia Aeterna' that stumbles around for eleven and a half minutes with a derivative riff that is saved only by the introduction of a harsh sounding violin and the oooh’s and aaaaah’s of clean vocal. This then returns to the first riff accompanied by vacuum cleaner vocals akin to Chris Barnes before he lost his voice. The interlude that follows plays like a riff idea that has been quickly recorded to send to someone while writing. The bass is frequently doing its own thing and this is never more apparent than on 'Eitelkeit' where it feels like it’s playing a completely different song altogether. The album finally lurches to a close with an outro that actually made me laugh out loud when I realised it was just going to be ninety seconds of the sample of a bell tolling.
While the presence of the violin on certain tracks can present an element of ambience, for the most part “A Tout Jamais” is an album to endured. While gothic doom can frequently be a testing experience for those unaccustomed to long winded songs the goal is meant to be to create an atmosphere of foreboding darkness. The only thing this album tested was my patience.
1 / 5 STAR
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“A Tout Jamais” is a disorganised mess of uninteresting riffs, banal repetition and amateurish production. Unsurprisingly this album is self released, most likely because no record label worth their salt would agree to release a record of this calibre. It actually pains me to say this because while this release is hideously sub-par, it still comes across as though it has been a labour of love of sorts for Nereide. One doesn’t spend fifteen years away and return without having genuine passion in what one does, but passion in this case is not a substitute for ability.
After a forgettable opener we are subjected to 'In Absentia Aeterna' that stumbles around for eleven and a half minutes with a derivative riff that is saved only by the introduction of a harsh sounding violin and the oooh’s and aaaaah’s of clean vocal. This then returns to the first riff accompanied by vacuum cleaner vocals akin to Chris Barnes before he lost his voice. The interlude that follows plays like a riff idea that has been quickly recorded to send to someone while writing. The bass is frequently doing its own thing and this is never more apparent than on 'Eitelkeit' where it feels like it’s playing a completely different song altogether. The album finally lurches to a close with an outro that actually made me laugh out loud when I realised it was just going to be ninety seconds of the sample of a bell tolling.
While the presence of the violin on certain tracks can present an element of ambience, for the most part “A Tout Jamais” is an album to endured. While gothic doom can frequently be a testing experience for those unaccustomed to long winded songs the goal is meant to be to create an atmosphere of foreboding darkness. The only thing this album tested was my patience.
1 / 5 STAR
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1. Si Je Devais N'en Tuer Qu'un
2. In Absentia Aeterna
3. Les Échappées Extatiques
4. Und Gleish...Die Zeit
5. Eitelkeit
6. Grafin Von Todeskampf
2. In Absentia Aeterna
3. Les Échappées Extatiques
4. Und Gleish...Die Zeit
5. Eitelkeit
6. Grafin Von Todeskampf
Self released
Reviewer: Seth Rafferty
Jan 25, 2021
Jan 25, 2021
Next review:
Absurd - Complete Noise... Absurd Shit...
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