REVIEW

Debut album from French modern metal/shoegaze band Vestige, formed by members of the symphonic death metal outfit Naraka and now expanded with guitarist Thomas Petit. The current lineup features Théodore Rondeau (vocals/guitar), Pierre-André Krauzer (bass), and Quentin Regnault (drums), marking a clear stylistic departure from their previous work.

Built on tightly chugging, metalcore-influenced guitar riffs layered with shimmering arpeggios and atmospheric tremolo lines, the album suggests a deliberate move toward post-hardcore and shoegaze, favoring textural contrast over sheer extremity.

Rondeau’s vocal approach has also shifted notably. Previously centered on harsh growls, his performance here alternates between fragile clean melodies and abrasive screams, adding a heightened sense of drama and emotional range. This contrast reinforces the album’s broader tension between weight and atmosphere.

While metal–shoegaze crossovers have most often emerged from black metal or doom metal contexts, Vestige appear to approach the hybrid from a modern metal and metalcore-informed angle. The result feels less rooted in extremity and more invested in dynamics, texture, and emotional pacing.

The album’s defining moment arrives in the transition from track #5 “Automne Part.1,” into “Automne Part.2 feat Neige (Alcest).” Both tracks balance intensity and delicacy in a manner reminiscent of Alcest’s third album, while offering a rare opportunity to hear Rondeau’s and Neige’s vocals in close conversation. The intentional emphasis on acoustic guitar further aligns the mood with Alcest’s aesthetic, reading as a gesture of respect rather than imitation.

Taken as a whole, the album suggests an ambitious debut designed to resonate with listeners across both metal and shoegaze audiences.