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Band: Venus Principle
Album title: Stand In Your Light
Release date: 27 May 2022
Label: Prophecy Productions
Genre: Dark Psychedelic Rock, Prog Art Rock
Tracklist:
01. Rebel Drones
02. Barricades
03. All These Words
04. Days of Summer
05. The Lord He Giveth And He Taketh Away
06. Shut It Down
07. Kindle The Fire
08. Drag Nets
09. Sanctuary
10. The Haunting
11. Stand In Your Light
Melancholic dark music can take many forms, and one of them is explored by Swedish/UK newcomers Venus Principle. Maybe a new name on the scene but with ex and active members from prestigious acts like Crippled Black Phoenix, Ison, Hearts Of Black Science, At The Gates, Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster and Louise Lemón. Of course, when it comes to musicians of such a calibre, the expectations are always high. So, I guess you wonder what's the drill this time? The resulting music is dubbed art rock, progressive rock, and psychedelic rock, mainly influenced by acts such as King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and Fleetwood Mac, but it's dark and melancholic, with sweet captivating modern atmospheric touches, therefore the fans of Nick Cave, Lana Del Rey, and also of heavier bands like Anathema, Katatonia and Paradise Lost can get a pleasant dose of their daily sonic food.
Venus Principle makes captivating epic music that needs to be deeply explored. It's subtle, gentle, and smooth but also experimental with psychedelic touches; it's modern dark art-rock with its heart laid in the 70s and early 80s. The 11 songs on Stand In Your Light are for the burdened and broken; they come audibly with the profound maturity of hard-earned experience from all the veteran musicians involved. This album is pure passion and emotion from start to finish; the listener only needs to close the eyes and feel the shiver throughout the entire body. Still, don't expect another 70s-inspired prog-rock like Opeth is doing lately - this is a different story; Venus Principle is, in the first place, an atmospheric dark rock band with a metal spirit that in a certain way for some might fill the gap that Anathema left.
Daniel, Daisy, Jonas, Mark, Ben and Pontus are creatively floating in the space above, lost in the bitter-sweet world of sweet seductive Nordic melancholy that gives way to an evocative sense of unconcern and rays of hope. They use some elements from their past and present bands, most notably Crippled Black Phoenix, since five of them played there, and some cosmic drone deepens the ambience like we are used to getting from the amazing Daniel's act Ison. The music is dynamic, solar, airy, yet lush, dense and with an intense pathos which often gets multi-dimensional. The mesmerizing opening masterpiece "Rebel Drones", with its breathtaking melodies and masterful smooth composition, even though it's more than ten minutes long, feels like it ends in an instant and there comes the hunger for more. The rather Floydian "Barricades" and maybe the most 70s-inspired piece "All These Words" soothe down the feelings a little bit, but on the other hand, steady and slowly put the things into the more psychedelic direction, yet never losing the right pace.
The vocal duets between Daniel and Daisy are breathtaking, both giving pure emotion and at the same time, it feels strong, seductive and somehow powerful. The finest examples are the before mentioned "Rebel Drones", "Days Of Summer", or the powerful atmospheric doomy anthem "Shut It Down", which is inspired by the events connected to the recent pandemic. Stylistically standing out, "The Lord He Giveth And He Taketh Away", sung in entirety by Daisy, is another proof of the versatile nature of the Venus Principle. Catchy but spawning a terrible beauty ruling in triumphant glory, Stand In Your Light is an album of pure artistical freedom. And while you'll sometimes feel like if being on the agitated sea, you know that you are completely safe in these more or less unknown territories. There are plenty of homely sing-along choruses and passages which will make your heart scream. The slowly evolving "Kindle The Fire" is an audible experience bringing a new meaning to the term evocative music before perhaps the most experimental piece on this album, "Drag Nets", comes by with the beautiful saxophone insertion.
Mainly guitar-based songs offer a lot of excitement and diversity, thanks also to the use of pedal steel guitar, vintage synths, piano, and atmospheric keyboards. Still, I can't skip mentioning the amazing technically perfective drumming and interesting bass lines. "Sanctuary" is a perfect compensation for those who hunger for a new spiced-up kind of Dark Side Of The Moon or Wish You Were Here album, while the rather upbeat tribalistic "The Haunting" sounds so very vintage and is, kind of, a darker take on the King Crimson or Black Mountain's legacy. The monumental album titled closer is a noble emotional, dreamy, melancholic piece and a perfect one to end the album.
Venus Principle's debut Stand In Your Light is a beautiful mature album made by experienced musicians; it's also a refreshing addition to the dark rock music of today. It is full of nostalgia and melancholy, but it shines bright. Progressive, smooth and delicate at the same time, and it's nothing strange that people at Prophecy Productions signed them without hesitation. Stand In Your Light is an immersive album - moody, thrilling and emotional. Each song brings something new and beautiful. There's a lot of magic present that helps to transcend the borders of old and new - with passion and devotion. It is an album that you simply and without any excuse need to get.
The review was written by Tomaz
Rating: 9/10
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