### Eibon: II

#### 02/11/13 || gk

France’s Eibon has been peddling their doom/ sludge sound for a while now and “II” is the band’s second full length. Eibon started as a kind of blackened sludge act with long and meandering but quite powerful songs and I was quite looking forward to “II”.

Opening song The void settlers starts with a pounding, sludgy groove but it’s the incredibly catchy riffs employed in the first few minutes that really gets things going. The song goes through a quite middle part that builds slowly into a spacey doom metal riff as the band builds into a jam that is held together by a very effective bass line. The guitars slowly but surely build momentum and as the band comes back to the opening riff in the closing moments of the song, it feels completely natural and organic. It’s only when the song ended that I realised 19 minutes had passed. Second song Elements of doom starts with some ambient noise and a quiet, almost Earth like ambiance before exploding outwards with a majestic doom metal riff. The song takes its time, building slowly as the doom gives way to some harsh tremolo picking and the pace picks up but it’s the strangely dissonant melody they hit at around the 7 minute mark that takes this song to a whole new level as it’s juxtaposed against a lurching, dirty riff that’s hidden beneath. The song weaves its way through a variety of moods and riffs but it all makes sense together. The savage black metal part is the logical successor to the doom and the long outro with the sound of falling rain and an atmospheric synth is a perfectly fitting end to everything that came before it.

With 2 songs clocking in at over 40 minutes, “II” is not easy listening. Compared to their earlier work, this album is more diverse, dynamic and progressive in the true sense of the word. The music becomes an immersive experience and both songs are put together with a lot of care and attention to detail. The band sounds like a well-oiled unit and the 2 songs flow so smoothly that the 40 odd minutes passed by without me realising it.

Eibon is going to be something of an acquired taste. The music demands your attention but stay with it, give it time and “II” just grows and grows on you. Fans of doom/ sludge and atmospheric black metal should find plenty to like here and this definitely one of the highlights of the sludge scene in 2013.

- Information
- Released: 2013
- Label: Aesthetic Death
- Eibon Bandcamp
- Band
- Georges Balafas: vocals
- Max Hedin: guitars
- Guillaume Taliercio: guitars
- Stéphane Rivière: bass
- Jérôme Lachaud: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. The Void Settlers
- 02. Elements of Doom