Band:	Ixion
Album:	Enfant De La Nuit
Style:	Atmospheric doom metal
Release date:	November 09, 2015
A review by:	BitterCOld

01. Ghost In The Shell
02. Allegiance
03. Discovery
04. Doom
05. The Shining
06. Children Of The Night
07. The Passenger
08. Promised Land
09. Odyssey

Many moons ago French doomsters Ixion released To The Void, a tasty atmospheric doom release that I particularly enjoyed. After a four year hibernation in deep space somewhere (or possibly a chalet somewhere in the French alps) they have returned with Enfant De La Nuit, or "Child of the Night".

Their core sound remains. It is "atmospheric doom", which is a way of saying slow riffs absolutely drenched in keyboards with mournful guitar melodies over the top. It is also the doom equivalent of easy listening. It is relaxing and can easily draw you in for a cool chill voyage floating around the cosmos.

At times this go around Ixion seem to have incorporated more clean singing, and there are another pieces with midrange tempos that songs or passages almost seem to drift into that no-man's land between doom and what some labels (looking at you, Solitude) have dubbed "dark metal". There's even a synth driven section opening Promised Land that might be appeal to my goth club days friends.
I prefer the more harshly delivered passages, shocking, I know, and find myself less emotionally invested in the more mid-tempo, clean, more, oh, I don't know, uh, normal passages such as the midpoint of Allegiance.

Ultimately though the album, the collection of passages, parts, and songs works well as a whole, gliding between these components. With each track showcasing a bit of everything in their sonic repertoire, it really works. It's not Doom Song, Dark Metal Song, Doom Song - now with Growls!, it's a collection of pieces, each of which flows back and forth, shifting as the progress. That alone makes a more interesting journey.

I must confess I prefer To The Void, most likely because it is better, but perhaps partially due to the nostalgic factor it was my first taste of their music. But I have found the more I've listened to Enfant De La Nuit, the more it's grown a bit on me. Perfect for late evenings, a book and bottle of Malbec begging to be drained. When the eyes grow tired and weary, the album calls and beckons you to slip into unconsciousness for your own journeys de la nuit.