Album Review: Déhà – Nethermost & Absolute Comfort

Artist: Déhà
Album: Nethermost & Absolute Comfort
Label: Naturmacht Productions
Release date: March 14th, 2025
Country: Belgium
Format reviewed: High-quality digital recording

Album Review: Déhà – Nethermost & Absolute Comfort via Naturmacht Productions by Ask

Déhà is the solo act of Belgian musician Olmo Lipani, known for his participation in numerous other bands on the Metal scene as well as other genres. The discography of Déhà is vast and spans over genres from black metal to pop during the nine active years. Regardless of style, the emotional expression and atmosphere is always in the centre.

The latest release, Nethermost & Absolute Comfort is no different. It starts painfully slow, with low chords of guitar struck one at the time as if the strings hesitate to tremble. The slow build up feels like a long intro, but it is not. It is the song. It stays in this slow, arduous feeling, building up energy only to fall back before breaking out, like ocean waves rising and falling without ever breaking the surface. It is frustrating and demanding. This is not music for easy listening. All the beauty is in the detail, the deep textures, the small differences within repetitions, the space between notes and the atmosphere of vast emptiness. It can’t compete with distractions. To fully appreciate this work, it needs focus.

In stillness, with eyes closed and no pressure of time, the slow waves of Nethermost become a journey worth every second. The texture is endless. As I relax into it, I am in a dark world where the reverb never reaches any walls. The slow guitar is distorted in a way that builds a solid world of undertones and overtones even though there is space between every chord. It is a strange experience of vastness and emptiness, yet there is warmth and companionship. The vocals give a human aspect to the whole experience. Starting clean, at times spoken, at times screamed not like metal vocals but rather like a panic attack during an argument, the effect is pure euphoria when they finally break out in long, satisfying fry screams. Lipani has a lot of vocal skill and is putting it all into use, still the vocals never feel theatrical or boring. All the styles convey variations of agony.

The drums are as slow as the guitar; every beat placed with care, nothing unnecessary added. In this dark vast world melodic elements come and go. Clean guitars with a jazzy feeling, distorted guitar melodies, sampled instruments. Some of the samples, especially the string section, which is overused, feel flat and inhuman. They lack the depth and variation of the other elements and give a synthetic aftertaste to the atmosphere that breaks the immersion. For some minutes I see the threads Déhà is pulling to create the atmosphere instead of being lost in it. Aside from this the song feels cohesive despite all changes in vocals and melody. A journey from beginning to end.

When the second song starts, I feel overwhelmed. Can I take in more depth and detail? On some platforms this album is called a single, despite of its 72 minutes of length. I suspect the reason for this is that the two songs are not meant to form an album together, but rather to be enjoyed one by one at separate occasions. This would have been the better way to listen. Nethermost deservers to end in silence, with time to rest in stillness and reflect on the journey.

Absolute Comfort would have been better enjoyed with fresh ears. It is a journey in its own right, and it deserves to be embarked on separately, not as an appendix to Nethermost. The atmosphere of Absolute Comfort has a rare beauty and kindness to it. The pace is still slow, but the room is filled with carefully braided melodies and harmonies. Even the samples work flawlessly in this song. When a flute comes in, I get tears in my eyes. Something about the slow understated flute tunes forming a duet with the vocals, flowing from clean to harsh to deep and back to clean without losing the depth of emotion hits me in the gut.

Nethermost & Absolut Comfort feels as if it is made for deep inner work, for getting swept away in a world so vast it gives no limit to the travel of the mind, still repetitive enough to keep a steady focus. Shapes in the darkness vague and distant enough to allow the listeners imagination to create shadows on the walls. Déhà has once again created an immersive work, perfect for meditation and emotional processing. 8/10

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8/10 To Greatness and Glory!
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