After the untimely death of E.S. Posthumus’s Franz Vonlichten, surviving brother Helmut Vonlichten said that E. S. Posthumus would no longer be an active group. I feared we would never hear from Helmut again and that the world had not only lost one great musician, but two. My fears were put to rest late last year when Helmut announced the formation of a new group with lifelong friend (a “brother by destiny”), Nihl Finch and a singer by the name of Paint.
Les Friction released their debut self-titled album a couple weeks ago on January 24. It maintains much of the feel of an E. S. Posthumus album, but has evolved into something much more than just “an E. S. Posthumus album with vocals” – after all, that’s kind of what Cartographer was.
Read more about the album and the individual songs after the jump.
According to the band’s website, the background for the album is this:
The year is 2048 AD. Humans are now able to leave their earthly home and travel to other dimensions. While traveling, a shell of their body remains on earth and functions at a reduced capacity.
For most people, life is more interesting and entertaining in these alternate dimensions; however, having neglected their loved ones at home, society on earth begins to deteriorate. Anarchy ensues and the travelers begin to receive millions of S.O.S.’s from their families on Earth. Now, they must fight and struggle their way back home to save earth from certain destruction. Our story begins…
Unfortunately, when I listen to the songs, I feel that maybe only half of them actually tie into that story. So, I wish that either the songs were somehow more related to this background, or I wish the background hadn’t been written at all. Luckily, you can still listen to the songs and enjoy them, regardless of the supposed back-story.
The first two songs on the album, “Torture” and “Louder Than Words” were released ahead of the album and generated a lot of interest in the group with good reason. They are two of the best tracks on the album. Combing the epic orchestral sounds of E.S. Posthumus with your favorite indie rock sound.
The third track, “What You Need,” however, is much more mainstream. It starts off with some soft piano and an upbeat drum rhythm. Bass and vocals quickly join in for the first verse before building up to the chorus. “We both break free if we make it on top / If one should fall we both will drop / We move together from here on out / What you need is what I’m about.” It sounds a lot like a soft, pop-rock love song, a la Lifehouse. But I suppose the lyrics could also be metaphorically related to the aforementioned storyline. Despite not really liking Lifehouse in particular, this is one of my favorite songs on the album.
“Here Comes the Reign” is a lot heavier. It’s got that dark, industrial sound that I loved about Makara. And then the vocals kick in, and I almost feel like I’m listening to a Nine Inch Nails song. Frankly, I think this is a strange juxtaposition given the sound of the previous track.
When my wife heard “World on Fire,” she jokingly asked, “Wasn’t this song on The Dark Knight soundtrack?” The song is pretty light on ‘music’ and heavy on ambiance and dark lyrics until the very end when the tension has built up enough for a guitar to come in for an epic, albeit short, solo. Next, “Save Your Life,” can best be described as E. S. Posthumus meets grunge rock. It starts off very ESP-ish, with strings and string pads, then heavy percussion. Midway through the song, the tone of the vocals change gears slightly and take me back to the 90s. By the end of the song, it’s reverted back to the ESP feel.
My favorite song on the album is “Sunday.” I’d wager it’s also one of the most accessible songs on the album to mainstream audiences. If you made The Beatles’s “Eleanor Rigby” sound happy, it might sound like this. It starts, just as “Eleanor Rigby” does, with string chops playing a fairly fast-paced tune. Vocals join in quickly and build up towards the chorus. The song tells the story of a girl and boy who meet and fall in love and “live like everyday is Sunday.” The strings are constantly working up toward the point in the chorus where the two are living everyday like Sunday. It’s happy, and it’s just great.
This is followed by the slow and sad “String Theory.” The first half of the song is just piano and singing, both of which sound gloomy and depressing. In the second half, slow-beating percussion and strings are added to augment the darkness. The last half minute or so of the song is the piano slowly fading out. Coming off the fading piano from “String Theory,” “Come Back to Me” begins with a somewhat hopeful sounding piano. Then we get a guest female singer for the first few lines: “Do you hear me? / If I sing with angels / Will you hear me? / If I sing with angels / Will you cross the line?” Paint answers, “I hear your voice but you’re not here / I walk the halls and I’m alone / You’re not coming home.” This song is also sad, but it has a hopeful emotion to it. Through the rest of Paint’s singing, there is a gradual build up with some scattered electric guitars, and more ESP-like strings and percussion. The album ends on the sad (but perhaps hopeful) line, “Come back to me!”
In all, I really like this album. But I may be biased. For example, I don’t like Lifehouse, yet I like the song on the album that sounds like a Lifehouse song. When I had my wife listen to the album, she said several times, “You don’t like this kind of music.” My mind might be tricking me into liking it more than I should, simply because I’m a longtime fan of E. S. Posthumus.
But regardless, I think for people with fairly eclectic and open musical tastes – like the types of people who like chiptune and videogame music – this album is a real winner. I’m not sure it will reach mainstream appeal, though. For one, the album varies in style way too much. You’ve got a song that sounds like Nine Inch Nails, a song that sounds like 90s grunge, a song that sounds like Lifehouse, all scattered among epic cinematic music. I think that kind of variation on one album is just too much for most people.
But that’s okay. Different strokes for different folks, they say. If you’ve read through this review, if you’re familiar with E. S. Posthumus, if you like many styles of music, or if you just want to experience something epic and new – take a listen. There’s something on this album for everyone. It’s available from the Les Friction website.
Are you going to go out and get Les Friction now? If you’ve already bought the album, tell us what you think. Do you think Les Friction will be able to reach any sort of mainstream success?
Tags: E.S. Posthumus, Les Friction, Louder Than Words, Music Reviews, Reviews, Rock
“Unfortunately, when I listen to the songs, I feel that maybe only half of them actually tie into that story. So, I wish that either the songs were somehow more related to this background, or I wish the background hadn’t been written at all. Luckily, you can still listen to the songs and enjoy them, regardless of the supposed back-story.”
I agree. The backstory adds a nice touch to the album, in that it tries to color this album with the theme of space. However, I did feel that only a handful of songs (Louder than Words, Here Comes the Reign, World on Fire) related to the idea of space and fighting to return home. Although, I guess that one could argue that the other songs with the more blatant theme of loss (Torture, String Theory, Come Back to Me) and the more lovey songs (What You Need and Sunday) could tie into the feelings of those returning home after a long journey through space. I mean, who’s to say that these travelers don’t also reminisce about the people they’ve lost and loved? 🙂
I must agree with you that hearing “Here Comes the Reign” (with its darker and heavier tones) right after “What You Need” (which is probably the most mainstream song on the album with its lightheartedness) is a little awkward.
And, I have to agree with your wife on the “World on Fire” track. When I first heard that track, I was instantly reminded of the trailer music for Inception and The Dark Knight. Maybe Helmut is a fan? I’m not a music connoisseur, so I can only guess that it’s the arrangement and the choice of percussions that spark the similarities.
“Sunday” is definitely my favorite track on this album, by far. I typically love the large-scaled songs that E.S. Posthumus has generated, but something about this song thrills me. I think this song is the perfect example of vocals completely meshing with the musical arrangement. This track sounds awesome with and without the vocals, unlike some of the other tracks that have a definite bias toward one or the other. But, I had a different interpretation on the lyrics: both a man and woman waiting to find each other:
She wonders if she’ll ever find him/ She wonders if she’ll ever fall in love/ Maybe she’s right there behind him now
And, the man keeps hoping she’ll turn around and notice him.
I believe that she’ll take notice/ She’ll turn around when she can feel me near/ As if to say she’s been alone her whole life
The repeat of the chorus makes me believe that he’s hopeful that one day he’ll “get through” and she’ll notice him. But, the song, in my opinion, leaves the ending open.
If no one stops me now I’ll get through somehow\And we will live like everyday is Sunday
As to whether Les Friction will become mainstream, I sincerely hope so! I’ve been a big fan of E.S. Posthumus, and I was so distraught when I heard of Franz’s death. I’ve been trying to spread the word, but I haven’t really been too successful. I’ll keep trying though and hope that people will be more receptive to Les Friction’s work, since I think a large factor of people’s gripe with E.S. Posthumus, among those I’ve spoken with, have been the lack of vocals or the foreign language used in Cartographer.
Overall, the best review of this album that I’ve read so far!
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I discovered them through a friend and their music (especially ES Posthumus) has been placed everywhere!
Driving to the music is epic, everything is epic. I can definitely hear some track going mainstream, but much of it may be too big for the radio. Maybe I’m wrong… but they definitely have the talent and sound to pull it off.
This was a great review. As a result I had to go back and preview the album again. Upon first preview I thought all the best tracks were released ahead of time before the album. But I somehow missed Sunday. What a great track, I had to buy it. I think if any of their tracks were to hit mainstream this would be the one.
You’re right, Sunday definitely has a Beatles kind of sound in it, mixed with that happier “return of the king” feel that Cuzco has going but more upbeat.
I agree with your review overall, except with the Lifehouse track. Not my thing at all. Like you said this album is all over the place, as if they haven’t yet found their “sound.”
I was a big ESP fan as well. I just don’t feel like this album comes close enough to the epic powerful stuff that was ESP. I’m a little sad about that. Though I do love the NIN kinda stuff going on in Here Comes the Reign. NIN has been my favorite band since 1992. I could really use more of that industrial stuff mixed with orchestral. Sadly as said the album jumps genres too much to be fully satisfied as a complete album with that kind of content.
Not a fan of the slower stuff on this album, even though I was a fan of the slower ESP tracks. Caarano Pi is one of my favorite ESP tracks. Especialy the first minute before the vocal backing kicks in. What an incredibly powerful minute.
Also not a fan of a the solo vocals. This guy has a great voice, but coming from ESP I’m after the music, not the vocals. The first two minutes of Louder Than Words just doesn’t do anything but turn me off. Yet his vocals really work in Sunday.
Overall I’m not incredibly thrilled with the album like I hoped to be. But a lot of that I realize is because I was hoping for more ESP. Otherwise, four tracks, two of which were good but fell short(Torture and Louder Than Words) and the other two very solid (Here Comes the Reign and Sunday). Everything else just didn’t fit. But I guess four tracks is pretty good for a new group and their first album.
I think by their second album they’ll have their sound pinned down. Like you I could go without the whole “theme.”
It works perfectly for my project! Our backstory, concept, series theme – ALL of it. I’ve already contacted LF for licensing. Fingers-crossed! It feels like they’re the missing piece of what I’ve been developing for the past several years – starting with ESP, of course.
What a lovely progression this would be.
-AMP
The Crazy Ones Productions
I loved the song World on Fire and a few of the others. I have them on constant repeat and it’s helping me to try and figure out how to keep going with the book I’ve been writing… Black Angel. When I stumbled upon this the other day on Spotify I about freaked out and downloaded the album… WOW love it! It’s great for writing a fictional book like i’m trying to do.