Vesperal – Wasteland (Vinyl Album – Steelwork Maschine)

Genre/Influences: Neo-folk.
Background/Info: Vesperal is a French formation based in Paris, which released their second album. They ‘aim to conjure the unsettling feeling of a world in transition, where seemingly-beneficial new technologies gradually erase the last remains of our innocence and authenticity’. “Wasteland” is available as vinyl limited to 200 copies and also as cassette limited to 50 copies.
Content: From the very first notes of the album you immediately recognize the neo-folk input, which is characterized by the typical guitar play. The songs reveal delicate structures, which are sometimes resulting in dark, dreamy ballads. “Wasteland” sounds as an obscure reverie with crescendo guitar parts.
+ + + : I especially like the delicacy of Vesperal’s neo-folk approach. The songs have something evasive and even a bit cinematic. The guitar playing is absolutely fascinating for the way some of the songs are excelling into reverie and even become a bit transcendental. The vocals inject an extra emotional touch to the work.
– – – : I don’t have real minus points about this album, but there’s a climax missing to speak about an absolute masterpiece.
Conclusion: Vesperal is a fascinating experience revealing a successful album. “Wasteland” stands for the most sensitive side of neo-folk music.
Best songs: “Crawl & Suffocate”, “Dagger In The Heart”, “Birth”, Can You Hear The Ghosts”.
Rate: (7½).
Artist: www.facebook.com/Vesperalband
Label: www.steelwork-maschine.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Steelwork-Maschine/143072672415632
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
