Full disclosure: I was contacted by a music press company that has sent me information about this band and requested that I write a post about them. However, I have not received any compensation for it and it is still my decision to talk about them.
Rock music is one of those genres that I’ve been listening to my whole life. I know, most people have a father who’s a big fan of some classic rock band but for me it was mostly my mother’s influence. She gave me a childhood full of boxes of vinyls in the closet under the stairs and a knowledge of Def Leppard’s Hysteria so deep in my brain that I actually can’t remember the first time I heard that album.
So when I sat down to listen to this album and I was instantly hit with those hair-metal vibes I grew up on I knew that I was in for an interesting ride.
Background from Band
PERSEIDE was born from four childhood friends who decided to form a rock band in 2001, as they were just teenagers. Ten years later, they were crossing the frontiers to share their music widely.
After two EP released, a signing to OrageRock label, hundreds of gigs across France, Europe and even in the USA, with bands like Soilwork, Betraying The Martyrs, Cancer Bats, We Butter The Bread With Butter, Protest The Hero… The story is still being written today.
In 2018, they decided to go into the studio again to record their debut album, which is going to be released early 2020.
PERSEIDE is still there, stronger than ever and ready to take these four eternal teenagers as far as possible…
“PERSEIDE delivers a modern metal ranging from pop to metalcore, with heavy rhythms and old school guitars, catchy choruses, all tinged with electro synths and intense vocals…”
Highlights
I love that this album starts with almost a minute of straight instrumentals. Not only does it allow the vibe of the album to settle in but it also gives the band a chance to really show off–and, boy, do they! Any album that can get me headbanging in the first 30 seconds is an album I’m willing to listen to multiple times… which I did with this one… like, just sort of left it on for a couple days…
Which means that I was sold even before the amazing vocals came in. I think it’s the vocals that remind me the most of hair-metal because they tend to stay in the higher range. However, even with the opening track Sell Yourself they are able to transition from light and breathy to full-on rock with more of a screaming quality.
I really enjoy the guitar on this album. I’m not sure if this is because there are clear moments when it is allowed to shine or if the guitar is just so good that it is able to standout more than I’m used to but either way I found myself latching onto the riffs and melodic lines of the guitar the most while listening.
I also really like the use of synths throughout as they act as a nice, colder contrast to the buzzing guitars and aggressive drums. They’re able to cut through the noise and have a lighter, almost ethereal feeling to them.
Low Points
This album goes hard pretty much from the very start–a lot harder than I thought going into it but I’m not complaining. However, it does mean that the album establishes its sound really quickly and then it just sort of stays there. Far be it for me to assume that most people enjoy the crazy instrumental choices that I look for in my favourite bands but it would have been nice to hear something more dynamic in this album.
I think this is part of the reason I was able to put this album on in the background while I was working on other stuff. I didn’t feel like I had to keep up with it after I had listened through it that first time.
Rating:
While this was an album I enjoyed far more than I predicted going in, I’m not sure if it’s an album I’ll think to come back to. It’s missing that sparkle of something extra–something that points it out as different–that would draw me back to the album time and time again.
But as a debut album this is a solid piece of work and I’m definitely interested in where they will go next with their sound. Whether they stay with the classic rock vibe or move on to other things, there’s talent here and it’s nice to know that they have finally been able to put an album together.
BTMusic Blog 
One reply on “‘The Only Thing’ by Perseide [Album Review]”
[…] out my album review of ‘The Only Thing’ by Perseide for my thoughts on the band’s […]
LikeLike