Afterlife of the wild - Part 1 : Absence (Far away)
Among France’s notable bands, the Normandy-based group Far Away has established itself over the past several years, on the strength of their first two albums, Viaje and Solastalgia, as an unconventional act that blends sound and imagery, with a performance style that creates a synesthetic experience. Inspired by their travels (Latin America, Japan...), and their commitment to the environment, the quartet’s music falls somewhere between post-rock and Gojira-style metal, blending occasionally guttural vocals with clear voices, a bass-drum duo that drives the songs forward, and powerful, melodic guitars, all taking on grandiose, cinematic qualities in a remarkable burst of energy.
The new EP Afterlife of the Wild – Absence, which paves the way for two more installments to ultimately form a trilogy, features “only” three tracks offering about 15 minutes of pure, deeply earthy power. The EP is conceived as a dystopian audio documentary focused on the end of life. Far Away sketches the contours of a future world where humanity is now the last living species on Earth, surrounded by completely lifeless natural landscapes.
Thus, “Extinction Path” sets the tone with a metal sound that hints at the sonic density of Meshuggah, conveying the message of the initial extinction. “Vultures in Suits,” meanwhile, examines the responsibility of those in power for this total failure: the chanted vocals are particularly powerful on this track, with its sharp, combine-harvester-like guitars, at times flirting with post-metal or even black-metal atmospheres. When the excellent “The Last Horn” kicks off, epic and heavy, laced with atmospheric elements, we’re completely engulfed by this blend of anger and desolation, and we let ourselves drift along with the rest of humanity across this ocean of incomprehension and inevitability, until the guitars take flight and transform the journey into a true crossing of the Acheron. The sound grows heavier, darker, the rhythm section almost chaotic, while the death knell seems to ring out, bringing this incredible EP to a close, with such power and precision that we’re already regretting that the next installment isn’t here yet!
Les Far Away have long accustomed us to such high-quality compositions, never resorting to the easy way out or genre caricature, carefully avoiding falling into either trap, preferring instead to carve out their own royal path between progressive and heavy metal influences. This new EP reaffirms that talent and originality in their immersive creative approach. Either we’ve lost our ability to sniff out a deer’s antlers in the dead of winter, or this is indeed a major EP that you absolutely must put on your turntable before the end of the world! And for those who are interested, the release party will be on October 23 at the Péniche Antipode in Paris, mark that down right away on a corner of your raft!
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