Dusk Of Delusion - 2018 - (F​)​unfair

(53:34; Fantai'Zic Productions)

Track list:
1. Insanity 5:05
2. White Words 4:24
3. Strings on Your Arms 3:29
4. The Juggler 4:44
5. All You Can See 4:52
6. Siamese Versality 4:22
7. Sharpest Cards 4:03
8. Fortune Teller 4:38
9. Casanova 3:23
10. The Sideshow Attraction 3:49
11. Wooden Horses 4:47
12. Take Me 5:58

Line-up:
Romuald Carre - drums
Claude Colmars - guitars, vocals
Benoit Guillot - vocals
Matthieu Morand - guitars
Julien Skorka - bass, vocals


French band Dusk of Delusion started out back in 2016, and they have been a steady provider of their specific variety of metal since then. As of 2023 the band have released three full length albums and two EPs, all of them through the French label Fantai'Zic Productions. Their debut album "(F)unfair" dates back to the spring of 2018.

In the metal universe there are many bands that play around with different style elements in order to create something unusual, some taking a more expressive and unusual approach while others may combine related subsets of the metal universe in a manner that few others have done before them and while doing so creates music with new vibes of the kind that makes you think "why haven't anyone done something like this before?". As might be expected from this description I do find Dusk of Delusion to belong in the latter category of bands here, uniting elements from a few different traditions in a distinctly logical manner but also in a way that makes this album come across as a little bit of a novel feature.

The songs here will typically alternate between a few different modes of orientation. Groove-oriented and compelling guitar riff cascades is one of the staples throughout, where quite a bit of work have gone into the creation of these. With occasional bursts into more expressive and quirky executions of these as a little bit of a bonus feature. Other passages have more of a booming and organic feel to them, bringing them closer in sound and spirit to the harder edged bands from the grunge movement back in the day. While a third variation introduced strikes me as being the type of riff and rhythm cascades that may, perhaps, pull in a few details from the types of metal that incorporate a hardcore influence. With some neat and efficient flowing riff patterns with and without a harmony overlay as a little bit of a bonus feature.

This is the backbone for the vocals to play upon, and while hoarse in delivery the vocalist does a fine job of executing different modes of delivery depending on whatever mode the song is exploring as well as what fits the current sequence of the song. From dampened and more melodic to more passionate and emotional and in some cases switching over to a more purebred aggro vocal style of the kind that comes with automatic hardcore associations.

While I do suspect that other bands have made use of the same elements in different blends over the years, presumably marketed as alternative metal, for my sake I haven't come across these elements mixed together in a similar manner as what Dusk of Delusion goes about doing this. And when they manage to blend all the elements in the best way, the end result can be rather striking too. When infectious groove patterns, booming and rich sounding grunge-inspired passages and the more tight and aggressive hardcore-tinged details alternates this can result in quite the engaging flow. But, obviously, with some songs being a tad more interesting than others as a whole.

For those who tend to enjoy alternative metal bands that make good use of elements from a few different subsets of the metal universe this should be quite the interesting album to explore I imagine. If you enjoy the combination of groove-oriented riffs, more bombastic grunge and a little bit of hardcore spice in particular, this is an album worth investigating.

Olav M. Björnsen, January 2024

Links:
http://www.duskofdelusion.com/
https://www.fantaizic.fr/