While we find ourselves in a time that sees all sorts of different avenues explored throughout the dense underground, there are still those that manage to go even further against the grain and carve out a path for themselves that can only be deemed magnificent to look upon. A little bit goes a long way when trying something new, but to throw yourself wholly into your own approach and then have it work out splendid is, for us listeners, a unique sight to behold that we just don’t get to see often whatsoever. It was a few years ago with its debut that Contemplation showed us a solid glimpse of what it could bring to the table along with a follow-up split a few years later, yet it is with its second effort that Contemplation becomes an entity well and truly of its own.

At what point do you become too ambitious and bite off more than you can chew? That’s something that even the most passionate of artists can find themselves struggling with as it’s only the most patient and adept artists that can wrangle so many different ingredients to make for a consistent blend that offers far more than a mere vision of what could have been. In the instance of bands like Contemplation and creations like “Au bord du Précipice”, we see what it means to understand precisely what you’re dealing with and how to deliver it all in such a form that is nigh on compelling from beginning to end. A gorgeously complex work that deserves far more than to simply be called death-doom metal, there’s far more happening in this work that what my words could ever hope to do justice. Fueled by hauntingly beautiful violins with pagan aspects colliding brilliantly with the unyielding metallic edge while always leaving room for more than a little bit of experimentation to give each track a unique identity, “Au bord du Précipice” never once holds back in its exploration, passion, nor a raw evocative nature that cuts deep in every instance. Throughout the whole of this record, we’re given a tremendous display of power the likes of which few are able to wield with such mastery and precision. Contemplation may not be a name many in the underground are aware of, but those of us in the know are intimately aware of the unique glory with which this act burns brightly, effortlessly earning the distinct title of being truly different and damn good at it.

Works like this are few and far between. Pulling you ever further into a carefully crafted realm that has all the sonic and emotional depth that one might ask for from a particularly atmospheric work of death-doom, yet Contemplation is working on a far higher level. The sort of effort that demands more than a few listens in order to truly appreciate and become one with the raw beauty put forth, the very essence of “Au bord du Précipice” is something that is to be heard if it’s to be believed.

LISTEN to “Au bord du Précipice” on Bandcamp here.