After a long break, French gothic doom band Angellore are back with Nocturnes, an album full of atmosphere, emotion and melancholy.
Inspired by gothic and death doom traditions, the band creates a rich, melancholic sound through mournful piano, sweeping keyboards, heavy riffs and a mixture of gentle clean vocals and deep growls. This album focuses on the overall mood rather than immediate impact, rewarding listeners who are patient and open to its slowly unfolding style.
Right from the first track, Nocturnes establishes a serious mood. The band layers acoustic passages, orchestral textures and heavy guitars in a way that feels completely natural. The production is warm and open, allowing each instrument to stand out while keeping the music powerful.
Angellore demonstrate that doom metal is not just about slow tempos. It is about building tension, atmosphere and emotion.
The vocal performances are another highlight. The contrast between delicate female vocals, restrained male cleans and deep growls adds depth to the songwriting, helping each track evolve naturally rather than relying solely on instrumental shifts.
The melodies are memorable without becoming overly sentimental, and the band avoids the theatrical excess that can sometimes undermine gothic metal.
That said, Nocturnes is not flawless.
At nearly an hour in length, the album occasionally loses momentum. Several compositions linger on familiar ideas for a little too long. While the immersive pacing suits the genre, tighter editing could have made its emotional peaks more impactful.
These criticisms do little to diminish the album’s overall strength.
Angellore excel at creating an atmosphere that feels genuine rather than manufactured, while the emotional weight behind the music gives Nocturnes a lasting resonance. Instead of chasing modern trends or technical excess, the band focuses on strong songwriting, tasteful arrangements and expressive performances, resulting in an album that unfolds with quiet confidence.
Nocturnes may not reinvent gothic doom, but it does not need to.
This is a mature, thoughtfully composed record that showcases Angellore at their most focused and emotionally compelling. For listeners who appreciate immersive, melancholic metal steeped in beauty and sorrow, this is an album well worth spending time with.
Anyways, that’s pretty much all to be said.
Be good. Big Brother is watching us.
Love always,
Jinx
Line-up:
Lucia – Vocals
Rosarius – Clean & harsh vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, synths, grand piano
Walran – Harsh & clean vocals, synths, grand piano
Celin – Bass, additional guitars, EBow, backing extreme vocals
Ronnie – Drums & percussions
Also featuring:
Gunnar Ben – Oboe on “Falling Birds” & “A Dormant Stream”
Ségolène Perraud – Flute on “Falling Birds”, “Forsaken Fairytale” & “A Dormant Stream”
Dirk Goossens – Bass clarinet on “Falling Birds”
Raphaël Verguin – Cello on “Forsaken Fairytale” & “A Dormant Stream”
Genre: Gothic Doom Metal
For fans of: Theatre Of Tragedy | Tristania | Empyrium | Draconian | Saturnus
Further Information:
https://www.facebook.com/AngelloreDoom
https://www.arduamusic.com/
