Setting their high-set gaze upon the withering landscapes below Angers, France-based atmospheric black metal troupe TOUR D’IVOIRE produce a sense of wonderment despite the collapse into darkness abounding on this debut full-length album. A dreamscape built from dusk-toned shapes and glowing celestial interference ‘Tour d’Ivoire‘ stands out as particular in its design, a themed approach which conveys a sense of distraught exploration which flows, and floats, through its motions with a certain ‘epic’ surety expressed throughout. Though this four song, half hour record is deceptively simple in its arrange it is perhaps stronger in its resonance for the sake of an easily parsed and easily felt focus which directs the listener through its moonlit realm.

Tour d’Ivoire formed circa 2023 by way of guitarist, bassist, programmer Hyver (Véhémence, Hanternoz) and vocalist La Griesche (Grylle, Cercle du Chêne) having developed an atmospheric/ambient black metal sound which could only benefit from their shared propensity for personally touched craft. In terms of setting a scene and carrying out their vision the band name and the aesthetic (cover artwork from Sperber Illustrationen) manage to communicate up front that this is a dreamlike realm to escape and immerse into and their sound quickly reinforces this intent. There are so many undeserved and ungainly atmoblack niches that’d lived and died in the 2010’s to the point that it wouldn’t make sense to make a direct comparison in terms of intent here, there is a specific character which comes from Hyver‘s guitar work up front which speaks less to modernity, post-music etc. and instead braces itself in medieval ‘epic’ lead guitar progressions presented in watery slow n’ steady motion. The effect is high fantasy, austere and hymnal as it arrives, closer to the step many artists might take out of the realm of dungeon/fantasy synth into atmospheric and ambient black metal.

Folks often pass along thoughts on black metal atmosphere as if it were formaldehyde, a known stench that both disturbs the average nose yet lingers with distinct association, yet a band like Tour d’Ivoire deserve a bit more credit for the nightside wash they generate, a foggy air which allows their diorama-sized world to breathe by way of its ethereal guitar layers. The structures of each of these four scenes are built by thin, back-set programmed drums and a central bass tone (performance via Erroiak), both of which are rudimentary in their presence a la the less martial side of Summoning‘s most reverent marches. The layers of guitar carry two main resonances, up front is the leading voice presented almost entirely in tremolo picked ‘epic’ statements in long-form, the directorial pen and the main focal point of this album. Set beneath that primary layer is a slightly modulated tone which creates harmonious events and smaller rhythmic tangents which imply movement and help to emulate expansive space throughout. The head swims here as they offer a cacophony of pleasantly humming wonderment, avoiding chaotic movements for the sake of a moonlit aura as we set out in the dark.

As we’ll find on the chorally accentuated sections of opener “La Tour” the vocals here aren’t a simple narrative rasp all of the time often leaning into ghostly suggestion, loosely following behind the speedier pump of the guitars. The level of reverberating, echoic space created by the dual guitar voicing is the main focus but this doesn’t resign the vocals from their statements, all of which are presented in French. Though I cannot make out the lyrics myself the whole presentation feels distinctly in the realm of black metal despite it making quite soft, glowing impact per this first piece. Movements are simple enough, easily read and followed, and the hypnotic trance of it all is superseded by a feeling of (again) listless austerity which carries through the full listen. Per my experience the first two songs (each about ~8-9 minutes) bleed together as piece which variously drone and search, meandering with direction that is less choice on the very repetitive riff progressions of “Brouillard”.

The standout piece here for my own taste is “Forteresse de Marbre” and this should speak for itself as its longer stretches of dual guitar built melody strike out for its first half. This is the moment where the idea behind Tour d’Ivoire provides the most accessibly read feeling as the production values (mix and master via Akhlys) and a bit more of a kicking pace come together to shape a best representative song which fans of anything from earlier Obsequiae to Runespell should appreciate within moments. Of course this is not a technical marvel, not a sub-genre bending request, and not a completely unknown prospect but there is some great feeling behind both the composition and the render supplied that it’d resonated with me quickly. I’d extend that reaction to the full spread of four songs here in general, each piece builds upon the initial prompt and floats through in easy succession. There are still a few more ideas which crop up here in the second half, though, as we find some of the synth work stretching beyond rhythmic background support not only in the second half of “Forteresse de Marbre” but also closer “Givre”, perhaps the one song I could liken to a band such as (earlier) Lustre and with ears set squarely upon their use of chiming keyboards to emphasize the melody of the piece as it develops.

Though I think I would like to see what these folks could to in terms of something slightly more elaborate in its composition ‘Tour d’Ivoire‘ makes the right first impression as a complete thought, a well-developed idea which embodies exactly what it visually and sonically implies. Hand built from familiar parts into a unique enough statement Tour d’Ivoire offers some appreciably fantastical escapism without becoming overly self-involved or lost out at sea, a direct step into a portal that delivers well on repeat. Otherwise I’d appreciated the visual design, particularly the cover art as a piece so fitting that I’d almost begin to wonder what came first in terms of muse. The whole effect is brilliant, strong enough in statement that it’d landed as memorable in-ear and well worthy of mention. A high recommendation.

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