Review by Lawrence Stillman on October 9, 2024.

This is certainly a surprise, a melodeath/trance record that does not have any influences from metalcore, but there are some non-metal influences that can be found here, namely the J-Pop-sounding passages that can be found throughout the album that give it a very sunny, warm sound that is very unique while not losing its melodeath roots.

Lekphjunokia is a solo project from Japan led by a guy named 靄川 (not gonna pronounce that) who is a newcomer to the scene. While a majority of his releases have some metalcore sounds and elements that warrant their metalcore tag, this album does not have any of that and has an approach that can be described as melodeath-trance pop. While this combination can be a turn-off for many people, it can also be an acquired taste for others. It has your usual J-Pop and trance elements like vocaloid vocals (mainly to simulate female vocals to contrast the sole member's growls) and poppy synths, but it also has proper melodeath riffing and sometimes black metal tremolo riffs that sound closer to Alcest than anything else. As a result, the album often alternates between trance-driven melodeath similar to Blood Stain Child without the metalcore elements and a sound that is similar to Alcest except it has synths and melodic death metal riffs.

The production here is very good for what is supposed to be a self-release album; every instrument here sounds very balanced, and no one is overshadowing the rest. You can immediately tell which instruments were taken away the moment they were removed, and it is quite surprising considering I was expecting something more raw and unrefined. The bass guitar here is a delight to listen to; it constantly reminds you of its presence with its grindy tone and occasionally disappears to alter the tone of the song significantly. I also like how the guitar sounds radically different depending on the song. One of the examples here is the song '1998', where the guitars gain a more blackgaze (aka very piercing, reverb-heavy) sound while the rest of the songs have a more muted and clearer sound.

This is definitely for fans of Blood Stain Child and those who want something more electronic-oriented but are sick of how metalcore elements just keep ruining great ideas like electronic melodeath. Oh well, I hope this review here helps someone find the electronic melodeath they have been looking for and brightens their day.

Highlights: 'Our Finality', '1998'

Rating: 9.1 out of 10