Clair Cassis's debut album is nothing short of “interesting”. It's one of those records that grows on you with every listen. This 7 track album that spans a little under 36 minutes was released back in 2010 and truth be told, it still sounds the part in 2018.

I'm not going to bore you with details of how the band got together or talk about the drama surrounding their previous congregation, "Velvet Cacoon". What I will talk about is how this album is has managed to go unnoticed by many, including myself over the years.

The band claims to be the creators of luxurious black metal, a Versace of the dark arts perhaps? But to me, they sound more like a cheap knock-off, one that at times, manages to do much better than the original itself. Let me put things in perspective here, the first thirty seconds is all you need to figure out who their influences are.

There's a hint of Abyssic Hate, a whiff of early Leviathan, a dash of older I shalt become followed by some Xasthur and Striborg. What I did find quite intriguing was how the band managed to fuse all of the key elements of these bands to create something quite unique.

The vocals are very much reminiscent of earlier I shalt become, raspy, guttural and quite capable of complementing their sound. The overall composition and the way it ebbs and flows is the bread-winner here.

The guitar tone and some of the riff structures remind you a lot of the bands mentioned above. What Clair Cassis have going for themselves throughout this record though, is their ability to quickly implement drastic changes to the soundscapes they create. What might start off as a gloomy grimy track could soon take the form of a vicious and brutal thrash metal inspired riff only to become very mellow a couple of seconds down the line.

I found the riffs to be reasonably catchy (for a black metal album i.e.), the fact that they manage to throw in a bit of acoustic guitar work against the wall of sound they create was something I found quite fascinating (and I’m sure you will too). You’ll also find that some of the tracks on the album have amazing breakdowns that come complete with intricate bass-lines and guitar strums that gently flow throughout. The drumming on the album is more complementary than anything else, just like the ambient soundscapes and sound clips they incorporate to complete the picture.

The bottom-line is that this debut is amazing in more ways than one. It's a shame it took me so long to find them. I know I’m not the only one, so if you still haven’t heard their music, let this review be the one that gets you there. If you overlook the pretentious luxury label and you'll uncover something grand and understated.

I'm still not sure how I managed to find this band, unlike most people I didn't find this through Velvet Cacoon. I didn't even discover Velvet Cacoon until a long time after listening to this. Anyway, to the point this has a unique touch that I haven't really found with other black metal releases.

The first thing I managed to notice on this release was audible bass. That's right, audible bass in black metal. I didn't really know what to think of this at first but after several listens it really does give it a unique sound. "Hazelhearted in the Seaparlour" showcases this point exactly. The atmosphere has a very bleak touch to it and is quite apparent that this is quite drug influenced. "Pearls & Pinesmoke" is another example of well done audible bass as it contains a very nice melody which is something different in black metal.

The musical output is just amazing, "Ambercandle" has an inclusion of acoustic guitars on top of the black metal riffing near the outro which gave it a very sincere atmosphere of bliss and darkness. This along with Hazelhearted are my two favorite tracks on the album.

The other tracks were pretty straightforward but still had a depressing sound like the others with the exception of Kir Royale, which is a dark ambient piece. Mind you I love dark ambient and this brief track did a good job of capturing bleak and depressing feelings as did the other tracks.

The main thing that bothered me however was the vocals, they're particularly weak and unusual. They're an odd shrieking style that is quite overpowered by the instruments playing alongside. A more powerful delivery of vocals would have made this album sound amazing.

Overall, the instrumental work is practically flawless and really brings you to a trance-like state. The vocals were the only obvious letdowns of this release. I recommend Clair Cassis to anybody looking for something different in the black metal scene.

In 2004-2005 Velvet Cacoon made a name for themselves by lying about their history and stealing other musicians’ music. Some considered their antics postmodern genius; others, shameless ploys for attention. Either way, everyone had an opinion about them. Velvet Cacoon also released an astounding work of black metal in “Genevieve”, the only album that achieves a cold, haunting “neither-dead-or-alive” atmosphere comparable to Darkthrone’s “Transylvanian Hunger”.

Between the rumors, hype and misinformation on one hand, and the expectations of following up “Genevieve” on the other, Velvet Cacoon was under a great deal of pressure. When they finally released on “P aa Opal Poere Pr. 33” in 2009, Velvet Cacoon sounded like a band caving under the pressure. While the atmosphere was extraordinary, much of the songwriting was sub-par. It was as if the band had spent the last five years suffering from a severe case of writer’s block.

Perhaps it was just the pressure of living up to the name “Velvet Cacoon” that was causing the writer’s block; less than a year after the release of “P aa Opal Poere Pr. 33” Velvet Cacoon ended and Clair Cassis began with the release of their self-titled debut. Clair Cassis is composed of the members of Velvet Cacoon –Josh and Angela—plus drummer D. Martin. Musically Clair Cassis’s debut is similar to “P aa Opal Poere Pr. 33” but lighter and fresher. It is as if the change of name lifted a weight off the band’s shoulders, allowing them to once again write excellent atmospheric black metal.

Like Velvet Cacoon, Clair Cassis plays slow to mid-tempo atmospheric black metal with a distinctly oceanic sound. The main difference between the two bands is that Clair Cassis is nowhere near as dense as Velvet Cacoon. Velvet Cacoon sounds like black metal recorded at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The music is heavily textured, with echoic guitar, bass and keys reaching to the very limits of the recording. The sound is vast, yet wholly consuming; there is no “clear space” in Velvet Cacoon recordings. In contrast, Clair Cassis sounds like it was recorded at the ocean’s surface. While layers of guitar and bass still create an oceanic atmosphere, their reach is not as vast. The high end of the recording is left open, allowing the band to add light, catchy melodies atop the thick waves of fuzz.
The results are impressive. Songs like “Hazelhearted in the Seaparlour” employ beautiful acoustic leads that sound like raindrops gently falling into the ocean. Other songs (i.e. “Pearls & Pinesmoke”) involve phenomenal inversion of bass and guitar. The guitar holds a wave-like back and forth rhythm while gorgeous bass-line melodies dance every which way, like whale calls arriving from the distance. Thus the album is composed of a consistent foundation that sets the tone and a series of leads that add variety and character to the songs.

Overall, this is a very consistent record. The running length is only 33 minutes and there are only seven songs, but there is absolutely no filler. Each song has its own identity and its unique aspects that captivate the listener, yet the album is very cohesive. My only real criticism of the album would be that it is perhaps too consistent—everything is good, but nothing is great. However, that might be exactly what Clair Cassis is about. Instead trying to live up the absurdly high standard set by “Genevieve”, the band members can focus on creating beautiful, oceanic music. Insofar as that is goal, Clair Cassis’s debut is a success.

(Originally written for http://listenwell-nocturnal.blogspot.com/)

Tired of all the controversy and baggage attached to Velvet Cacoon, SGL and LVG decided to drop both their pseudonyms and the band name. It wouldn't be fair to say that Clair Cassis is exactly the same band as Velvet Cacoon, just under a different name. Besides Josh (SGL) and Angela (LVG), drummer D.Marvin is a member. There has also been a bit of a change in their style. While Velvet Cacoon came off like cough syrup, Clair Cassis comes off more like fog over the ocean. Besides having a different atmosphere, the songs are shorter, more accessible and much more structured. While this may seem like bad news, it turns out it is quite the opposite; a brilliant change of pace. While there was certainly more they could have done with the dense droney style of Velvet Cacoon, it could have gone stagnant if they didn't switch it up. The plight of many (once) great bands is they had a good thing going, but they didn't know when to stop. Fortunately, this is not the case here.

The guitar has the same kind of tone that works very well with drone bands (although here it is not tuned as low), but there is no lingering on a single note for an upwards of 15 seconds. The chord progressions are generally mid paced and allow for a very coherent song structure. An acoustic guitar (which all songs are originally written on) often plays in the background. It does so subtly, adding to the atmosphere, and I must admit at first I did not notice it. The addition of a drummer is wonderful, as it complements the atmosphere perfectly; a drum machine would have felt cold, inhuman and emotionless on this album. While I understand the drum machine used with Velvet Cacoon was meant to mimic the human heartbeat whilst on Dextromethorphan, I can't help but think a real drummer (with talent, of course) will sound better than a drum machine every time.

Black metal is not often known for bass. On some black metal records, the bass is so low in the mix that it might as well not be there at all. Breaking this mould, Angela's bass playing shines on Clair Cassis. On "Hazelhearted in the Seaparlour" it wonderfully accompanies Josh's vocals and the majestic bass melodies in "Pearls and Pinesmoke" are the best part of the album. Josh's groggy rasps are very low in the mix, becoming another instrument, rather than the main attraction. There is not one instrument that shines above the rest; they are all equally important and if any were taken away or made generic, it would be devastating to the overall sound.

The best thing about this record is the atmosphere. The cliché goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. I think the cover to this album proves the saying right. The ocean scene perfectly captures the aura of the music; It is sometimes a bit dark and violent, as the the fading light and the waves crashing against the rocks indicate, but just because it is damp doesn't mean its not scenic. The next time I'm visiting a place near an ocean, this record will get heavy rotation. Its a funny thing, but as downtrodden as this album is, it is uplifting at the same time. I suppose the contrast is what makes it so unique.

While there are obviously major differences, Clair Cassis isn't a completely different beast than Velvet Cacoon. For one, while downplayed, the ambient isn't completely made extinct. In fact, it makes multiple occurrences, with the only major one being the haunting song "Kir Royale", which, not surprisingly, takes on a nautical vibe. "Noctilucent Petrichor" is the song that reminds me most of Velvet Cacoon, which may seem weird because it is the fastest song on the record, and Velvet Cacoon is generally slow. This song has the same cough syrupy vibe, just drastically sped up; the same spacey droney tone is there, as is the resonating ambiance in the back ground - and to top it off it has an ambient outro. Part of the main differences between the bands, is that with Clair Cassis, instead of Josh coming up with all the ideas, all members put forward their creative talents. This album certainly wouldn't be the same without the bass lines that Angela wrote. The more catchy sound (well, catchy by black metal standards) actually turned out to work perfectly. The vocals on "Pearls and Pinesmoke" are unforgettable, and the repeating of "under the sea, the sea, theres a lighthouse, a lighthouse" on "Hazelhearted in the Seaparlour" is something that has really soaked into my brain, but unlike overly autotuned pop music, it is actually something I want stuck in my head.

There is something to say about a successful (and I'm not just talking about how popular they are) band, being able to reinvent themselves - even if it is under a different name. Although, I hope Clair Cassis isn't remembered as just the band that used to be Velvet Cacoon. Even if Velvet Cacoon never existed, this album would be just as worth picking up. This is a perfect record to listen to when your near or on the sea, reading a classic book or experiencing an altered state of mind. Containing both substance and atmosphere, this is an excellent black metal release.

Clair Cassis is a new black metal project for the former members Josh aka SGL and Angela aka LVG of Velvet Cacoon together with drummer Daniel Marvin. The emphasis is now on more black metal with a definite melodic bent and more conventional song structures as opposed to the fuzzy drone ambient direction of Velvet Cacoon. Now there is also more singing, or at least singing that can be heard clearly over the music, however noisy and aggressive it gets, in contrast to vocals that struggled to come out of the noisy buzz and never succeeded for very long. Riffs and melodies are also now preferred over drone.

Why VC decided to change to CC, I won't guess but I'd hate to think they've junked their immersive ambient tendencies and thrown away the keys to the attic for good. There was a lot they still could have done with the formless fuzzy drone style: the package in its essentials was good if not all the details which in any case should always be subject to continuous tinkering and improvement. Perhaps with this self-titled debut CC are keen to establish a new and independent identity free of the baggage that followed VC (the faked albums, the self-made instruments that never existed, the Earth Liberation Front front that turned out to be just a ... "front") and at some later time CC may incorporate some of the old ambient droning style into their music where appropriate.

The album is short enough that all seven songs can be heard in a single sitting. They're not greatly different from one another with one exception. The singing is usually BM-grim in a crackly, crabby way which reminds me of fairytales of ancient witches permanently bent over from leaning over steaming cauldrons and talking to small children too much. It's very arch-sounding and not really suited to the raw noisy guitars but it's far down in the mix so you'd have to turn the volume up loudly to hear it. At normal volume levels the singing is not too irritating, just needling you a bit but generally not annoying. The bass often follows different melody lines from the lead and rhythm guitars and its smooth and sometimes moody tones contrast sharply with the rough sandpaper sound of the guitars. Now that's something I'd like to hear on future CC albums; perhaps Angela's bass could take the place of lead guitar at times and have the occasional duel with Josh. Pace does vary but not for long and does not go to the extremes of fast and slow.

The one track that stands out is "Kir Royale" which is a short tone poem with no vocals and a dense muffled knocking rhythm that replaces the drums. This is a dreamy trance-like piece where the guitar is very blurred and insistent, like a rumbling air-conditioner noise in the background that seems to get louder and louder once you notice it. The last two tracks on the album feature codas that contrast strongly with the main music, the former of the two ending in an ambient choral croon and the latter concluding in a forlorn melody of pure tones.

For now CC have opted for a straightforward melodic black metal approach which is enjoyable but not that remarkable. It's as if they're keeping their heads low and trying not to offend anyone they might have offended before. Perhaps on future recordings they'll go for something a bit closer to the old VC style. I think they should also experiment in a different direction again, maybe something close to psychedelic rock or a decadent Gothic romantic style that would suit their drug-influenced lyrics.

As for the album cover, it looks much like the last VC album cover with dark, hard-to-see images of water and a similar flowery font for the band name. Some things haven't changed much after all.

After the surprise departure and dismantlement of Velvet Cacoon from the black metal scene, it was hard for me to imagine Angela and Josh doing anything else with their time, or having anything else to do with the metal realm of music if they were not to pursue the brutal contrast of ambiance and dissonance that Velvet Cacoon are known for. Perhaps the delicate ambiance of ‘Atropine’, essentially the ultimate guide to background music, was the way forward for the two musicians from Portland, Oregon? Apparently not. Clair Cassis, the duo’s new band, is a softened version of Velvet Cacoon. To me it still takes on the same shape as their previous band, but perhaps with a more spacious sound, acquiring the use of cleaner instrumentation, a more prominent bass figure and a general lack of what made Velvet Cacoon so world renowned to begin with -- harsh, hazy distortion and a dense production style that encapsulated the sound into a tiny space. The wide open plains which house Clair Cassis are a far cry from the compacted atmospheric approach of their former band, but because the changes are subtle, perhaps not so many people will notice the alterations that the band themselves say have occurred behind the scenes.

According to an interview, Josh was apparently tired of the drama which surrounded Velvet Cacoon given their antics in the past and seemingly bad relations with the likes of Fullmoon Productions. So, in order to change public perception of themselves, both Angela and Josh have opted to give themselves a collective face lift and alter the name of the band, the song lengths, the production style and even the approach. Whilst I consider there to still be many similarities between Clair Cassis and two albums in particular, those being ‘Genevieve’ and ‘P aa opal Poere Pr 3’, I can hear a few differences too. The bass is far more prominent for starters. Each and every song takes the bass into account. Not only is it more accessible because the production has relinquished its hold over the atmosphere, giving it a wider and varied appeal, the bass is also more experimental, occasionally leading songs forward, as shown on songs like ‘Our Overwintering In The Ivories’. Songs like this even feature, albeit briefly, light acoustic sections which give Clair Cassis a dreamy feel, akin to the ambient touches that Velvet Cacoon applied to their music, though nowhere near as dull of ‘Atropine’ could be.

The production, whilst not all that terrific, is agreeable since it gives the acoustics and bass more room to manoeuvre, as shown superbly on one of my favourite songs on the album, the beautifully entitled ‘Pearls & Pinesmoke’. There is something poetical about Clair Cassis, just as there was with Velvet Cacoon. Josh has stated that it was physically and mentally exhausting making ‘P aa opal Poere Pr 3’, an album he considers to be the absolute pinnacle of Velvet Cacoon’s career, possibly due to the length and perfectionist approach he took to making the record. He also said he was tired with the ambient black metal scene, though this album seems to me to come under that very description. He didn’t believe he had a future when it came to nautical black metal, but the aesthetic features, such as cover artwork and song titles, all remain the same. To me, this album could have very well been created under the Velvet Cacoon moniker. Pluck-for-pluck, beat-for-beat, it sounds exactly like a Velvet Cacoon record, so his escapism mentality seems to be in his own mind, rather than public knowledge because I wouldn’t be able to distinguish between the two bands’ sounds had I not already known they were released under different titles.

Though Josh appears to have had a clear destination for the song, with each to have its own specific qualities, own specific atmosphere and personality, the songs tend to blend into one movement with the repetitive backbone becoming a prominent figure as the record moves forward. His vocals, again, are another element which is precisely the same as it has always been, though, according to Josh himself, lyrics were never important to him. He said, “I think it's silly to try to convey any deep message via lyrics in black metal, so I prefer to make everything really pretty. I call it word-painting, drugs taught me this. I think these colourful wordplays do a good job at describing the music we create, more so than some bland title like "The Dark Mountain" that's too ambiguous to mean anything at all.” This is something I can easily relate to as I’ve often told people in discussions, or through reviews that vocals and lyrics in black metal mean very little to me. I can connect with what he’s saying because, to me, the vocals are meant to blend in with the instrumentation, which they do perfectly through Josh’s hateful hissed voice, and essentially become another instrument on their own.

The vocals fade into the background and enhance the beauty in desolation that becomes apparent the further I delve into the genial atmosphere. ‘Hazelhearted In The Seapalour’ is a terrific example of this. The bass takes over and though repetitive, is exquisite. The guitars are even more repetitive than the other elements, playing the same notes again, and again, and again for effect. The mesmerising, hynoptic qualities which made Velvet Cacoon’s music stick in my long-term memory are all here and with the accessible instrumentation due to the easing up of the production, the entrancing vibe becomes more and more apparent and the clarity of the emotions within the music are empowered by the cleaner style, though there is still some distortion and haze to become entangled in. The beauty within the subtle haze grows like vines, entwining itself around you and squeezing you like a boa constrictor. The idea was not to create a raw atmosphere akin to some of the work on the wondrous ‘Genevieve’, but to mould a new, fresh sound through shared song writing, powerful atmospheres and a loosening of the strings over the procession.

Josh has claimed that he was the sole provider for Velvet Cacoon, writing most, if not all, of the material himself. On this occasion, with new member Daniel Marvin on drums, Josh has allowed a shared responsibility when it comes to song writing and Clair Cassis benefit from a combination of ideas. I have read somewhere that Josh merely used a new programming system for the drums, one which presents the sound more proficiently, but he himself credits Daniel with some of the writing, so I assume that he provided the drum work, which does feel far more authentic and in the cymbal and snare work, the percussion comes to life and isn’t based entirely around a repetitious blast beat section. With the short song lengths, there is perhaps a more coherent structure to Clair Cassis. Velvet Cacoon often required a fair amount of patience in the listener, but listening to this self-titled effort is easy. It flows effortlessly from one song to another and I simply cannot wait for the second full-length, which is apparently almost already completely written up and will be released in the autumn of 2010. My highlights include ‘Pearls & Pinesmoke’ and ‘Hazelhearted In The Seapalour’.