Year of No Light is a French post-metal band formed in Bordeaux in 2001. On their 2006 debut album Nord, the band combined a dark and aggressive sludge metal sound with psychedelic atmospheres inspired by post-rock and shoegazing. In 2008, they underwent a significant line-up change, replacing their vocalist by a third guitarist and a second drummer to become an instrumental sextet. Thereafter, Year of No Light integrated black metal, doom metal, drone and dark ambient influences on the albums Ausserwelt (2010) and Tocsin (2013).
History
Year of No Light was founded in September 2001 in Bordeaux by Johan Sébenne, Bertrand Sébenne, Jérôme Alban and Christophe Mora (Finger Print, Undone). Since its conception, Year of No Light was never a "top priority" band but rather an instrumental side project. After one year of rehearsal, Christophe Mora left the band.[1] Pierre Anouilh succeeded him.[1] One month later, the band played live for the first time.
From 2002 to 2003, they played local shows in Bordeaux. In September 2003, Julien Perez joined the band as a singer.[1] One month later, the new line up played its first show. Year of No Light still remains an "active" side project due to all of the musical activities of the vast majority of its members.
The band finally recorded a demo in June 2004. After its release, the group toured Spain and Basque Country. Following the good feedbacks surrounding the demo (one review describing Year of No Light as "The Cure playing Sludge"[2]), the band worked on its first album during the summer 2005. In September 2005, they recorded Nord with Serge Morattel[3] in Switzerland. The following year, Nord was released to positive reviews.[3][4][5] Year of No Light began to tour more often in 2006 and played at the famous Dour Festival in 2007. The same year, Nord was reissued on Crucial Blast, for the CD version, and Cavity Records for the LP.
In 2008, Year of No Light toured Europe and played at the prestigious Roadburn and Hellfest festivals. After several collaborations with acts like Nadja and Fear Falls Burning and some splits recordings, they discarded their singer. At the end of the summer, Year of No Light becomes a six-piece entity with two drummers, one bassist, and three guitarists, backed by some vintage synths. Shiran Kaïdine, from Monarch!, and Mathieu Mégemont, from Aérôflôt, joined the band respectively as third guitarist and second drummer.[6]
Jérôme Alban performing in 2009
In September 2009, the band began to record Ausserwelt in Bordeaux with Cyrille Gachet. In April 2010, following the release of Ausserwelt on Conspiracy, Year of No Light toured Europe with Irish black metallers Altar of Plagues. The following month, the band worked on a soundtrack for Dreyer's Vampyr, and performed it for the first time, on 28 May 2010, at Barbey Theatre in Bordeaux. In February 2011, Year of No Light played Vampyr in Tallinn, Estonia. The following months, after having recorded new material for upcoming splits, they toured Europe and played two sets at Roadburn: a classical gig (including the totality of Ausserwelt) and the Vampyr performance.[7]
The group worked with French contemporary artist Christian Vialard on Le Temps de l'Ecoute, a video installation reinventing Yves Klein's Monotone Symphony, exhibited at la Villa Arson in 2011.[8][9]
In late 2014, Year of No Light embarked on their first ever U.S. tour, playing eleven dates. Sludge metal band Take Over And Destroy opened for the first nine shows with various other openers, booked in west coast and southwestern states. The tour then concluded with two nights at New York venue Saint Vitus.[10] The band however performed as a five-piece during this tour, with the band citing guitarist Pierre Anouilh's visa issues preventing him from touring.
Members
Current
Jérôme Alban – guitar (2001–present) (Baron Oufo, Donald Washington, Metronome Charisma)
^ abcd"Slow Death Fanzine No. 2". Interview YEAR OF NO LIGHT, p. 12 (in French). Slow Death. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Gnesin, John. "Digitalmetal.com". Year Of No Light – Nord. Digital Metal. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Begrand, Adrien. "Decibel No. 32". Year Of No Light – Nord. Decibel. Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ ab"Roadburn.com"(website). Year of No Light will play two shows at Roadburn Festival 2011: Ausserwelt album and live soundtrack to C.T. Dreyer's horror masterpiece Vampyr. Roadburn Festival. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
^"Villa-arson.org". Pratiques sonores et musicales sur la Côte d'Azur des années 1950 à nos jours (in French). Villa Arson. Archived from the original on 9 November 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ ab"Discogs.com". Discography. Discogs. Archived from the original on 29 June 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Hall, C. Andrew. "Frogtown Movie". Music. Frogtown Movie. Archived from the original on 8 February 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Ladoire, Eddie. "Rupture mon amour Exhibition". Mademoiselle..., p. 09 (in French). Maison des Arts Malakoff. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
