One of the more leftfield collaborations of 2022 so far, see’s French electro maestro Perturbator (aka James Kent) purveyor of heavily eighties-influenced dark-wave join forces with Johannes Persson, vocalist/guitarist and principle songwriter for Swedish post-metal innovators Cult Of Luna. The collaboration first bared fruit early in 2020 as Holland’s Roadburn Festival, the legendary celebration of heavy and experimental music offered Perturbator and Johannes the opportunity to collaborate with a specially commissioned live performance.
Due to … well, you know what, the set did not materialise in 2020, and was postponed again in 2021 before the pair were given the opportunity to finally perform at Roadburn 2022 this past April. Putting on quite a show and armed with material the pair had the chance to write and perfect over the last two years, and which is now immortalised via Cult Of Luna’s own Red Creek Records.
The duo provide six tracks of futuristic soundscapes, which would provide a fitting soundtrack for a dystopian, post-apocalyptic fight for survival by the human race. Beginning with an intro of soaring sirens on ‘Nothing Will Bear Your Name’, an impressive building of tension and atmospherics is created by the synths of Perturbator, which when the aggressive and unmistakeable vox of Johannes drop, take on an instant dark and foreboding sci-fi tone.
‘In The Void’ has swirling pads that draw comparisons with the work of Vangelis (RIP) on Blade Runner, before a deep growling bass synth works with the guitar of Johannes, to create the perfect post-futuristic tone, while rasping vocals work their way across juddering and robotic electronica.
Elsewhere the guitars also feature beautifully, with a haunting hook on ‘It Came With The Water’, and an eighties style lead combining with a pulsating heartbeat like bass to provide a John Carpenter’s Escape From New York style sound, on the slow ponderous ‘The Fall Of A Giant’.
Elsewhere the blend of guitars and synths subtly merge together with the chugging intro riff on the self-titled ‘Final Light’. On the albums impressive finale ‘Ruin To Decay’, an evil alien sounding intro lands before lush swirling pads enter the fray, and the track builds to a powerful drop when a stuttering bass explodes, sounding like a helicopter taking off. From here the music takes a deep and dark turn with an off key synth riff, while Johannes delivers his most ferocious and emotive vocal performance of the project.
It has certainly been a good year for Johannes Persson, having already released The Long Road North with Cult Of Luna (review here). And with Final Light, he delivers his second epic record of 2022.
Buy the album here: https://finallight.bandcamp.com/album/final-light
8 / 10
ABSTRAKT_SOUL_