Plateau Sigma have this combination between the elements of
Post-Rock & Metal along with the sounds of the ‘80s new wave genre and
creating this dark and sinister sound with an ominous touch to it as they
describe themselves as the New Wave of Dark Rock. Formed five years ago in
their hometown in Ventimiglia, the band released an EP back in 2013 called, White Wings of Nightmares.
Last year, they released their first debut album called, The True Shape of Eskatos. The album
deals with the elements of: sex, afterlife, death, and the fears of the unknown
and what is about to come. The sound has a mixture of a melodic, heavy, and
dooming sound with a feel that would send shivers down the spine that makes it
sound like it was recorded in 1981.
The band considers: Manuel Vicari on Guitar & Vocals,
Francesco Genduso on Guitar & Vocals, Nino Zuppardo on Drums, and Maurizio
Avena on Bass. Their debut album is this touch between the combinations of a
dooming, prog, and death metal sound with a sinister touch. And it’s also at
times atmospheric and jazzy in some of their compositions including the mixture
of clean and snarling vocals with spoken dialogue thrown in.
There is a pulsating beat between the guitars that are at
times fast-paced and roaring at the same time when it comes to both the riffs
and chords that both Vicari and Genduso touch. At times the guitars go into a
spooky clean touch and access the gain for the terror on what we are
experiencing. It has a gothic atmosphere at times because of the structures in
their instruments that give it a sense of loss and it’s a perfect sounding vibe
in the compositions on the darker voyages on three highlights.
For example on the track, Ordinis Supernova Sex Horarum, it begins with the throttling guitar
duo between VIcari and Genduso and the rapid drum tempo of a firing gun done by
Zuppardo for the first four minutes and then the mood changes. They move into
the calmer and volatile rhythm between a female vocalization and saxophone
crying out into the end. There’s a touch of Roxy Music’s Avalon-era on the piece at the last three minutes.
The 14-minute Stalingrad
is a jaw-dropping composition. I could tell Plateau Sigma paying homage to
Anathema as one of the voices is in the realms of Vincent Cavanagh. The voice
is spot on perfect and captures the darkness and loneliness while the guitars
as if its crying in pain between the lead and rhythm and the slowed-down rhythm
helps out before back into the swift death doom metal snarling rhythm. And
then, back into the calm-like ambient mourning sound as the guitar solo goes
into the night to close it off.
With a guest appearance featuring Efthimis Karadimas from
Nightfall on The River 1917, it sees
Plateau Sigma going into an area of a darker history filled with intense
scenery on what is going on behind the scenes and having Giorgio Conforti on
flute and with a jazzy acoustic-like touches and having a soothing piano into
the mix. It gives the band a chance to relax and go into a touch of resembling
one of Jacula’s composition, Jacula
Valzer as Efthimis comes in on the growling vocals and dooming lines and
guitars closing in with a haunting end.
Plateau Sigma’s The
True Shape of Eskatos is not an easy album to listen to from beginning to
end. But this is one of the most powerful, sinister, terrifying and astounding
albums I’ve listen to. They really have the guts and power to go into those
darker areas with Doom/Death Metal, new wave, and gothic sounds and have a
melodic touch to it as well. So be prepare to experience the sounds of Plateau
Sigma.
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