French Metal Part Trois: Je

In light of hells_unicorn's recent review on Metal Archives, I decided it was time to give Je a try merely for their French lyrics. If you know me, I'm a total sucker for lyrics in languages other than English - French, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian - it makes no difference. While the majority of Je's poetics fly right over my head because I'm not a native French speaker, bits and pieces I undoubtedly understand; I've never been the kind of person that needs to understand lyrics to enjoy music because it transcends language, and Je's work still displays the feeling of desolation it originally intended, especially with the emotionally distraught vocals, though clearly not the most skilled.

Prior to my discovery of Je, I had no experience with shoegaze, and I had absolutely no interest in checking it out. Although I can't say Je is completely representative of the black metal/shoegaze/post-rock combo sound, I can tell you I totally dig what I'm hearing, especially the riffs, the majority structured from a rapid downstroked picking pattern, and when combined with melancholic melodies, make for a vaguely black metallic experience, despite the addition of other influences mixing the sound up.

I suggest you give 'em a listen. You don't have anything to lose, do ya?
The Metal Advisor