Regard Extrême – Eco Solemnis

Regard Extrême – Eco Solemnis
Label: Steinklang Industries – SK169
Format: CD, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered
Country: Europe
Released: Sep 15, 2024
Style: Darkwave, Modern Classical, Neo-Classical

More than 30 years since their first release, French Regard Extrême are back with a new album, their third on Steinklang. Stylistically, Eco Solemnis builds upon the foundation established on previous albums: medieval music and orchestral neoclassical with elements of martial industrial.

In comparison to the previous album of new music, 2021's Ars Veterum, Eco Solemnis incorporates more prominently the neoclassical elements of earlier Regard Extrême, but without abandoning the medieval, even monastical stylings. This makes for a beautiful synthesis of new and old, which should by all rights appeal to fans of all eras of this long-running project.

Eco Solemnis evokes solemn imagery of ancient sacral rituals and the ornamental beauty of medieval religion. But at the same time, the dynamic music has a more bombastic nature, of majestic banners unfurled in the wind and hosts gathering to fight for a cause they believe in. Eco Solemnis takes the listener on a journey through ancient times and landscapes: the monasteries and castles, the cathedrals and ramparts of a time gone by. And, perhaps, carries a message to our present time...