Review by Alex on July 3, 2019.

Appearing to be attached to the primary idea of machine-like expend-ability, each composition on Résignés reveals feelings of helplessness by means of societal conformity until the time of expiration. A robotic sense of programming, the kind humans have (for centuries) dwelled in and continues to. The final result, being unable to think for oneself, sheepishly relying on others, rather than being self-sufficient, the individual sacrifices freedom for slavery in so not just destroying themselves but damaging the earth in the process. So many words can be used to describe Ataraxie’s Résignés; torturing, bouldering, burdensome, hypnotic and agonizing. All this manifest on Résignés with ease and in abundance; coming from a band that has been making funeral death doom since the early 2000s. Having actively released music since their formation in 2000, with 3 full lengths, some demos, splits and a compilation, Ataraxie’s latest sermon marks the 4th full-length installment of yet another tormenting chapter in their book of scars. Having no prior impressions of Ataraxie and more so a limited knowledge of the funeral/death doom genre, the chances of Résignés not appealing to my tastes were high; however, so was the potential to astonish, and that they did, convincingly. Marked by thundering power chords, strong bass-lines, vocals that convey anguish, heavy handed drums and alluring guitar work, Résignés stands as the best funeral/death doom record I have heard in 2019 thus far. Even with the legendary Evoken releasing "Hypnagogia" which I found pleasure in and many praised, I can’t help but gravitate more towards Résignés. For a recording lasting well over an hour, as records within this genre generally do, that did not come as a problem or blunder because through the music lies a sense of connectivity and gradual movement. It’s a piece that speaks to the listener through its artwork and lyrics that provide strong suggestions of the current era. Themes that many are familiar with but choose to ignore or ‘sugar coat’, all this for the sake of societal convenience and ‘acceptance’ are referenced.  

The music on Résignés will eventually attach itself to the consciousness of whomever is listening through its slow and steady build towards climaxing moments either vocally or instrumentally. These tracks create a swelling feeling of hopelessness and agony, and with each song lasting more than 15 minutes, the weight of the music takes its toll. You can feel despair building on ‘People Swarming, Evil Ruling’, its transitions from the funeral doom to black metal drumming surges the seriousness and agonizing desperation while bringing to light the blindness of ‘civilization’ and its punishment for ignorance and arrogance. The songs are structurally strong, showing no deficiencies in their compositions by aid of temper roaring and somber discourses. Melodicism plays a key role when trading between the slow, crushing almost interminable sections and mounting quickening strides; each second priming to explode with cataclysmic repercussions. Take the more approachable ‘Résignés’, amassing serious density into one husk until its threshold is met only to release it all through bursts of culminate tempo shifts as also heard on ‘Coronation of the Leeches’. Just like gathering a herd of cattle for slaughter, Résignés creates a sense of impending doom for the systematized human batteries as they draw nearer to their moment of cessation. I have to disagree with Dave Mustaine, the system did not fail, rather a successful mechanism, it was designed this way intentionally, it was never meant to provide spiritual or mental growth, only constructed to harbor a cycle of dependency, gluttony, foolishness and annihilation; all the while sheltering an ever-growing conforming species under its many illusions. What did fail is mankind’s will to break free from its shackles. The feeling of servitude lays like a leech on Résignés, it never regresses only grows until fully shelling the listener in with walls of helplessness and more-so, guilt. 

The totality of the problem is what Ataraxie manage to capture here with Résignés. Encompassing a variety of emotions, Résignés puts the actions of the droning species under microscopic scrutiny. With musicianship that breathes life into the cover artwork and draws out the problems leading to, at this point what I would consider arrogant self-destruction, Ataraxie have crafted a record worthy of the ‘essential listening’ tag. The velocity strikes at manufacturing a resounding representation of the main matter, but with the absence of any clemency whatsoever. These songs carry with them the grueling weight of regret, slowly dragging the listener down the strip of requital. Ataraxie’s inculpatory, unforgiving and beckoning pulses of funeral death doom is like a culling of the unwise, a merciless leveling of the imprudent in the name of vengeance. The production helps the music to apply its force onto the listener during the gradual dimming of humanity's light. It’s clear and pin-points the exclaiming elements. Whether it be the ill-omened pop of the drums and bass, the stretching death metal growls, the anguished yelling or the looming presence of the guitars, the despair is genuinely felt through the prolonged passages of distress. Anyone who finds pleasure in funeral doom and specifically the gloomy imminent demise of the ‘civilized’ will enjoy Résignés, it’s an album that holds dear the fundamentals of the mixed sub-genres when casting its shade of woe.

Rating: 9.2 out of 10

Review by Alex on July 3, 2019.

Appearing to be attached to the primary idea of machine-like expend-ability, each composition on Résignés reveals feelings of helplessness by means of societal conformity until the time of expiration. A robotic sense of programming, the kind humans have (for centuries) dwelled in and continues to. The final result, being unable to think for oneself, sheepishly relying on others, rather than being self-sufficient, the individual sacrifices freedom for slavery in so not just destroying themselves but damaging the earth in the process. So many words can be used to describe Ataraxie’s Résignés; torturing, bouldering, burdensome, hypnotic and agonizing. All this manifest on Résignés with ease and in abundance; coming from a band that has been making funeral death doom since the early 2000s. Having actively released music since their formation in 2000, with 3 full lengths, some demos, splits and a compilation, Ataraxie’s latest sermon marks the 4th full-length installment of yet another tormenting chapter in their book of scars. Having no prior impressions of Ataraxie and more so a limited knowledge of the funeral/death doom genre, the chances of Résignés not appealing to my tastes were high; however, so was the potential to astonish, and that they did, convincingly. Marked by thundering power chords, strong bass-lines, vocals that convey anguish, heavy handed drums and alluring guitar work, Résignés stands as the best funeral/death doom record I have heard in 2019 thus far. Even with the legendary Evoken releasing "Hypnagogia" which I found pleasure in and many praised, I can’t help but gravitate more towards Résignés. For a recording lasting well over an hour, as records within this genre generally do, that did not come as a problem or blunder because through the music lies a sense of connectivity and gradual movement. It’s a piece that speaks to the listener through its artwork and lyrics that provide strong suggestions of the current era. Themes that many are familiar with but choose to ignore or ‘sugar coat’, all this for the sake of societal convenience and ‘acceptance’ are referenced.  

The music on Résignés will eventually attach itself to the consciousness of whomever is listening through its slow and steady build towards climaxing moments either vocally or instrumentally. These tracks create a swelling feeling of hopelessness and agony, and with each song lasting more than 15 minutes, the weight of the music takes its toll. You can feel despair building on ‘People Swarming, Evil Ruling’, its transitions from the funeral doom to black metal drumming surges the seriousness and agonizing desperation while bringing to light the blindness of ‘civilization’ and its punishment for ignorance and arrogance. The songs are structurally strong, showing no deficiencies in their compositions by aid of temper roaring and somber discourses. Melodicism plays a key role when trading between the slow, crushing almost interminable sections and mounting quickening strides; each second priming to explode with cataclysmic repercussions. Take the more approachable ‘Résignés’, amassing serious density into one husk until its threshold is met only to release it all through bursts of culminate tempo shifts as also heard on ‘Coronation of the Leeches’. Just like gathering a herd of cattle for slaughter, Résignés creates a sense of impending doom for the systematized human batteries as they draw nearer to their moment of cessation. I have to disagree with Dave Mustaine, the system did not fail, rather a successful mechanism, it was designed this way intentionally, it was never meant to provide spiritual or mental growth, only constructed to harbor a cycle of dependency, gluttony, foolishness and annihilation; all the while sheltering an ever-growing conforming species under its many illusions. What did fail is mankind’s will to break free from its shackles. The feeling of servitude lays like a leech on Résignés, it never regresses only grows until fully shelling the listener in with walls of helplessness and more-so, guilt. 

The totality of the problem is what Ataraxie manage to capture here with Résignés. Encompassing a variety of emotions, Résignés puts the actions of the droning species under microscopic scrutiny. With musicianship that breathes life into the cover artwork and draws out the problems leading to, at this point what I would consider arrogant self-destruction, Ataraxie have crafted a record worthy of the ‘essential listening’ tag. The velocity strikes at manufacturing a resounding representation of the main matter, but with the absence of any clemency whatsoever. These songs carry with them the grueling weight of regret, slowly dragging the listener down the strip of requital. Ataraxie’s inculpatory, unforgiving and beckoning pulses of funeral death doom is like a culling of the unwise, a merciless leveling of the imprudent in the name of vengeance. The production helps the music to apply its force onto the listener during the gradual dimming of humanity's light. It’s clear and pin-points the exclaiming elements. Whether it be the ill-omened pop of the drums and bass, the stretching death metal growls, the anguished yelling or the looming presence of the guitars, the despair is genuinely felt through the prolonged passages of distress. Anyone who finds pleasure in funeral doom and specifically the gloomy imminent demise of the ‘civilized’ will enjoy Résignés, it’s an album that holds dear the fundamentals of the mixed sub-genres when casting its shade of woe.

Rating: 9.2 out of 10

Review by Chad on January 21, 2020.

I was pretty upset with Paul DiAnno's sophomore solo album. As great as his track record is, his solo content certainly doesn't share the same reputation. Di'Anno was a sign of things to come, a decent album with its own likable charm to it but keep slipping down such a rabbit hole and one ends up with albums like The World's First Iron Man and As Hard as Iron. Both published in '97, both containing the word "Iron" in the title, as if to plead with the masses "Hey guys, remember me? Paul Di'anno? You know, the guy in Iron Maiden before Bruce Dickinson? I still make music. PLEASE REMEMBER ME". I honestly don't get it, I didn't know the guy had a knack for glam rock and 80's AOR. I'd like to say I don't have anything against the choice of genre, but let's face it, 9 times out of 10 when you hear the labels "glam rock" or "AOR" associated with a genre, you know it's going to suck. It's going to be riddled with nearly every cliché you can think of from the whiny vocals on "Searching for You" to the gang shouts on the admittedly decent "Danger Lines", and in Paul Di'Anno's case, a spoonful of covers by awful pop artists. James Brown? Fastway? Wild Cherry? Yeah, the last album sucked big dick, but this time he's actually managed to make an entire album of original tunes, without the credibility of other peoples tried and approved material to artificially enhance the flavor of As Hard as Iron.

And that's actually worth rejoicing. The only thing worse than a flat original album is one that's being eaten alive by cover songs that only dampen what could've been a fully unique experience. I don't care if it's "Stairway to Heaven", I want to hear what you can create, not what you can replicate. One would think that would give this album a higher score than its predecessor, but the original material here is so flabbergastingly WORSE than anything from the last album that I almost miss those cheesy cover songs. No wonder Di'anno was phoning it the fuck in, these albums found him working with a smorgasbord of musicians you've never heard of, and you've never heard of them for good reason. They lack depth, character, style and originality. The ultimate studio musicians. I can't fathom any reason for it other than Manifest Records throwing as many musicians for Di'Anno to sing over as possible. "Wow! What a diverse musician Paul Di'anno is!" I hear the apologetics of these two albums say. I find to even think such a thing is to have a shallow perception of music, great the guy can make pop music that sounds like every other forgotten 80's pop band.

There's a few songs that just barely manage to get by. I dig the blues rock of opening track "Rock the Boat" to some extent, even if it is pretty crusty and stale white people butt rock. Album closer "Only in my Dreams" is serviceable, easily the best song on the album. Such a strong pop song in fact, that I'm not entirely convinced it's not a cover. Can you see what I mean by covers hurting an artist's credibility? It's to the point that I doubt that a studio musician project such as this can manage to come up with anything good on their own. I'll give it the benefit of a doubt, because I'd like to give As Hard as Iron it's fair dues. That being said, it took me a year to find out that "Show Some Emotion" from the previous album was a Fastway cover, so I'm still skeptical, especially when one considers how hard it is to find any information on this album. "Danger Lines" is the only distinctively heavy metal song on the album, 80's glam metal to be sure, but metal nonetheless. This is Di'Anno's territory, and actually sounds like an evolution of what could've come from his solo project's first lineup. It calls back to the Scorpions style riffage and pop rock of "Bright Lights".

The rest is so awful that its vomit inducing. Especially the acoustic guitar and piano ballad "Searching for You" that uses a mere wood block as its means for percussion. Worst of all, Di'Anno sings out of key in his worst vocal performance EVER. Fucking EVEERRRRRR. I actually listened to this all the way through and it was so awful that it made my skin crawl and made me dry heave. This isn't even the least of it though. If you ever want to challenge yourself, try listening to the whole album. "Only You that this Love Needs" sounds like it would start off better by a country mile, but when Di'Anno starts singing the whole thing reeks of booze, pills and the stench of washed-up, midlife crisis material. Di'Anno is no longer taking authority over his own music but giving the authority to audiences that don't even know his name, the same mistake Bruce Dickinson made with his first couple of albums. I mean really Paul, what do you expect? The ex-lead singer of Iron Maiden and Battlezone to tour with once-popular 80's pop rock acts? I'm repulsed and irritated, sure, but I'm mostly just repulsed. For a guy that self-identifies as a punk rocker, this guy sure does get bent over the record label's corporate lap a few more times than I'd care to admit.

Di'Anno's two '97 releases are home to his absolute worst material outside of Gogmagog. If you're curious about what Di'Anno could do in a pop rock setting, just go for his self-titled 1984 debut Di'Anno. These couple of albums are best left forgotten by both the fans and Di'Anno himself as I don't think even Di'Anno wanted these releases to see the light of day. He sounds just as bored and tired here as he did on the previous album. As Hard as Iron is as flaccid as they come, look even the title of the album is in fuckin' denial.

Rating: 2 out of 10