A Canadian outfit with a great band name and a penchant for shoegaze, alt-rock, and noisey sounds, Jet Black takes much pride in their art. They carefully construct eight tracks here, each with an identity of their own and a path that's highly unpredictable.

“Dissonant Echoes” starts out the affair with tuneful strumming and driving rhythm where intricate guitar work and crashing percussion make this a fine opener and indication of what's to come. The title track, “L'Ere du Vide” (The Era Of The Void), follows with a denser atmosphere where ultra-crunchy guitars give it a Helmet meets My Bloody Valentine feel as thick sounds meet shoegaze haze. “Like Gravity Wells” scales the intensity back to a sprawling, post-rock influenced tune that wanders in all the best ways. Side A finishes on the darker post-punk of “All Is Wrong,” where feedback and reverb are turned into a highly refined art form.

Side B (the physical release of this is vinyl only), brings us the moody “Constant Midnight,” which builds into a tense alt-rock masterpiece, and the light and dark contrast of “Strange Surroundings.” The lone acoustic guitar appearance of “Little Did We Know” is where things get much more sparse, a surprising and welcomed break from the giant approach of the record. The album exits on the sonically engaging “Temporary State,” where walls of sound construct a ferociously noisey yet highly melodic highlight.

This third album from the Quebec City residents does not disappoint and will surely please fans who appreciate the music of Sonic Youth, Slowdive, and Swervedriver and in general gravitate towards mammoth sized riffs and fuzzed-out templates. The fantastic artwork and packaging make this an ideal vinyl listening experience, but, really, however you choose to absorb Jet Black, just do so loudly for best results.

Rating: B+

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