Band:	Time Lurker
Album:	Emprise
Style:	Atmospheric black metal
Release date:	November 15, 2024
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Emprise
02. Cavalière De Feu
03. Poussière Mortifère
04. Disparais, Soleil
05. Fils Sacré

The Time Lurker had been loitering in the shadows for quite some time, only to now emerge with a daring Emprise that might take even more time to get into.

Time Lurker is a French one-man atmospheric black metal project formed in 2014 by multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Mick. The band name is inspired by the song "Time's Lurker" by Catacomb (the former band of Mick's uncle James Moreau and aunt Nathalie). The name also refers to the Lovecraftian themes and lyrical content of both bands. Back in 2017, Time Lurker released Time Lurker, and now return after a 7-year gap to present sophomore release Emprise. Does this latest album manage to sustain the powerful dark atmosphere of its predecessor, or live up to the grim and disturbing setting depicted by that horrifying cover art?

Strikingly, the relatively short running length of 33 minutes across 5 songs represents a substantial difference to the previous album's 50-minute total. First of these five tracks is a dark ambient droning title track, a short introduction that sets the album's eerie soundscape in motion. "Cavalière De Feu" sustains this ambience, with electronics and light guitar strings carrying the mood forward; however, this eventually build towards much heavier, blackened instrumentation that's quite repetitive and minimalistic in structure. The hypnotic pattern set by this instrumentation flows for not just the duration of the song, but for the entire album. The most striking element for me though are the vocals, tortuous high-pitched shrieks that are hidden beneath the instrumentation. These vocals are the main driving factor behind the album's ambience, and conjure a real sense of suffering and total desperation for the listener.

The next 3 songs exhibit similar structures, each with the intention of drawing you in emotionally deeper as they progress. I think it would be an unfair statement to categorize Emprise solely as atmospheric black metal, as elements of blackgaze, post-black, and DSBM all continually feature throughout. However, on the grander scale, I believe Time Lurker may have spent too long lurking in the shadows, as I expected a return after 7 years to make more of an impact. There's no doubt something's gripping about this emotive atmospheric journey, but I would have liked the atmosphere to be as sustained as that of the debut was. This comes back round to the overall length of the record, and the atmosphere that can be built during that short time. There is one feature that has come a long way since the debut though, and that's the production, which is clearly more crisp and nurtured than the rougher, edgier sound of the debut.

Emprise seems more of a listening journey ideal for background music during times of reflection and solitude, rather than a quick pick-me-up or headbanging session. However, I'm not overly convinced a half-hour will be entirely sufficient for regular listeners of this style, as the music seems practically over before it can really take a hold on you. If you are used to hour-length albums that allow the time to build on that atmosphere, then you may not reach that trance-like state you're hoping for (like you may have experienced with the debut). Immediately having this album on repeat when it finishes could be your best option if you hope to experience the full emotional and atmospheric benefits that Emprise offers.