365 Days of Metal: Staring Into the Abyss

Day 61

Ixion - To The Void 

Band Origin: Brittany, France 

Genre: Atmospheric Doom
Label: Avantgarde Music
Running Time: 57 minutes  
Release Date: February 28, 2011

Best Part: The fluid composition work.

Favorite Tracks: Falling to Apathy, Fear of the Hidden, The Plague, Funeral Dance, and Soothing Agony

Grade: 4.0

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To The Void in 20ish words or less:

An eerily melodic debut from this essentially two-man doom metal project from France. 

The Band: 

Ixion is an atmospheric doom band created by Julien Prat in 2004, who at the time was looking to create a project based on his compositions. Joined in 2006 by Thomas Saudray, who helped work on vocals and lyrics for the project they recorded their first demo. In 2007 they began the process of writing for their first full-length, adding on Yannick Dilly in 2009 to provide clean vocals for the record. 

Jay's Take on To The Void:

Ixion incorporates the use Prat's ambient soundscapes, electronic and orchestral elements combined to a melodic doom/death base in order to create their atmospheric and gloomy sound. The lyricism provided by Saudray helps the music convey a large sense of emotional intensity, as the music teeters on the between dark and brooding melancholy, and soothing, calm, melodic tones. The shifts between Prat's dark and shallow death growls, and Dilly's clean, calming vocals is just another part of what weaves To The Void's tracks together, flowing effortlessly with the evocative melodies in Prat's compositions.

Sample of the Day:

 

- J