(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): BELLADONE

Band: BELLADONE

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metallic Hardcore / Screamo / Black Metal / Post-Metal
Related artists: ?.
Country: Lyon FRANCE
Years Active: 2012-present
Song: "Organes Mâchés"
Album: "Black Knight Satellite split"
Year: 2017
For fans of: Birch, Envy, Botch, Knut, Lamantide, Nous Étions, Carcajou, Aporia, I Am Your Curse, The Solexine Chapter, Amanda Woodward, Sed Non Satiata, Eaves, Breag Naofa, Aussitôt Mort, I Was A Cosmonaut Hero, Lakmé and The Chariot.

Label(s): Self Released / DIY Seven Conspiracy / Hackebeil Records / Emocat Records
This post's artist is from the May 2017 Mix. This is track #6.

You can download: the May 2017 Mix#5 right here or get the new June 2017 Mix#6 here.

Although I was sent material back in the early days of this blog, it wasn't until I was contacted by both bands regarding their 2017 split with Black Knight Satellite whom I recently reviewed here. There are definitely amazing bands sitting on my computer that I have forgotten amount simply due to the vast amount of amazing music that bands keep sending me, so I'm glad this year's split put them back on my radar.

A two-piece? With all that noise? Yep, a two-piece. BELLADONE is obviously very talented at making extreme, well-crafted and heavy music. Their general sound revolves somewhere around the hardcore and metal spectrum, but is quite unique. The instrumentals are generally imposing, dark, layered and fast while the vocals are scathing without being overly screamy, and actually end up sounding more like Nous Etions and perhaps even Josh Scogin.

In 2012 they digitally released their debut LP titled 'Ophiuchus'. This thing is fucking awesome. With six tracks of harsh, earsplitting, noisy hardcore/metal, this might be the best thing the band has produced. "Anufist" has a fantastic clean ending while the followup "Capharnaüm" is just over two minutes of pummeling sludgy, metallic hardcore. The remaining four songs weave themselves with this wool, all of which are awesome and have slight nods to Carcajou and The Solexine Chapter.

Their 2013 'Kapytaen split' houses four more tracks of the same, although the songs are much thicker sounding and the vocals have taken an even deeper turn. "Hostilité" is a dark and deep song that leads perfectly into the most explosive number on the release, the aggressive, powerful and mesmerizing "Passion" which is 3:17 of noisy, chaotic and metallic hardcore.

The new 'Black Knight Satellite split' is great and I'm guessing includes more Botch influence, which can't be a bad thing. This becomes apparent quite early in "Organes Mâchés" with unrelenting instrumentals that rain down upon thee right from the get-go and a crazy multi-vocalist conclusion. "Grilles et Barreaux" continues the back-and-forth screaming approach along with very violent guitars that culminate at 1:27. Closer "Nyctalope" begins with a riff that could have been lifted straight from 'Antenna'-era Cave In, but the remainder of the song bears resemblance to Cave In's early work, if anything. It's also the longest song

Don't sleep on this band like I did for the past few years. This split is excellent and so is BELLDONE.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2012 - Ophiuchus digitalLP (stream/donate/download here)

2013 - Kapytaen split cassetteLP (stream/donate/download here)

2017 - Black Knight Satellite split cassetteLP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2017) BELLADONE - "Grilles et Barreaux" (from 'Black Knight Satellite' split)