Review by TheOneNeverSeen on August 25, 2024.

The fall cometh meaning it’s time for some good solemn atmospheric black metal. While not a huge fan of it, I do appreciate a good album capable of submerging you into its lyric beauty. Tour d'Ivoire’s (literally "Ivory Tower") eponymous debut release may not be perfect, but is nonetheless a solid album that every fan of the genre is likely to appreciate. Despite its imperfections (which are not surprising considering it’s the band’s first full-length), it’s a must-listen for all grim forests and moonlight enjoyers, and the band – a worthy one of becoming a big name in the genre.

After a very Wolves in the Throne Room-like intro, the album immerses you in its most powerful track – 'La Tour'. The Dissection/Dark Funeral-like riff may be a little repetitive, but it conveys the atmosphere of gazing at the beautiful tower on the album’s cover through the spider-web of branches perfectly. The rest of the tracks elaborate on this atmosphere, almost allowing you to sense the scent of night due to their perfectly appropriate pace and the great guitar sound that is neither overly raw nor polished.

The album’s sound is consistently imperfect. The blast beats sound good, but the at times lonely cymbals are way too loud (especially on the first two tracks), intercepting the music’s flow. The vocals, while generally impressive, often sound quieter than necessary, unnecessarily focusing all the attention on the lead guitar and making the music somewhat languid. However, I will say that, for the band’s first effort, the album is pretty consistent in terms of the quality of riffs and melodies, if imperfect texture-wise. It is evident that the musicians are keen to make diverse music and whenever the album experiments, it almost feels more natural and bolder. For instance, the female vocals by the end of 'La Tour' reminiscent of Diadem of 12 Stars or the synth melodies by the end of 'Forteresse de Marbre' and 'Givre', while not reaching the atmosphere of 'Left Hand Path' or 'Time Is Black', add a lot to the introspective feeling of the album. I’d say the songs rely on repetition of the same riffs too much and benefit a lot from melody changes. The pensive atmosphere is preserved throughout the album, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Batushka-like riffs of 'Brouillard' and 'Givre' which one rarely hears in atmospheric black metal dominated by Lustre-like meditation or post-black metal sadness.

So, while not being a new classic or perfect technicality-wise, Tour d'Ivoire is undoubtedly a very good atmospheric black metal release and one of the most pleasing this year. A curious 35-minute retreat into the ivory tower of your thoughts.

Rating: 8 out of 10