BÅKÜ – SOMA
Release Date: 21st March 2025
Label: Self Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Post-Metal
FFO: Cult Of Luna, Amenra, Neurosis, Year Of No Light.
Review By: John Newlands
Ok, time to strap in and strap on for 54 minutes of post-metal from Drôme (France) based quintet Båkü. The bands self released debut will come out on 21/03/25 and was recorded and mixed by Romain Da Silva at La Cordo studio (SMAC 26) then mastered by François Fanelli (Sonics Mastering).
Soma is divided into five segments or, “Opposites”, the shortest of which is a meagre 8mins in length, so yes, we are in really post-metal territory here.
The album follows the progression through sleep, awakening and waking and “plays on a double perception, between consciousness and awareness, between interiority and subjectivation”. And this is clear when listening to Soma, it is a progression, a movement, a feeling and holds a direction that is distinct and true. One can of course choose to listen to the tracks in isolation, however, I feel to appreciate the full nature of Soma, it should be consumed in one sitting and in the order the band has arranged.
Stand out tracks for me are Opposite 1, Opposite 2 and Opposite 5, all of which hold some genuine originality while also retaining the clear influence of established artists such as Cult of Luna, Amenra and Year Of No Light.
Throughout the album there is great use of instrumentation and the production is great, with basslines being stand out on a number of tracks with the weight and punch expected in a hard hitting post-metal release.
For me, Cult Of Luna are probably the biggest influence through this album, with much of the ambience, song composition, phrasing, guitar chords and vocal delivery akin to cuts from Somewhere Along The highway or Salvation. There are also big nods to Amenra and Neurosis (to a lesser extent) throughout Soma, which is fine, as the band seem to often manage to pepper in their own distinct sound in tracks or experiment with different tempos or ideas – such as an unexpected hardcore / black metal inspired section midway in Opposite 3 or ambient oscillator / noise segment in Opposite 4.
The main drawbacks in this release are unfortunately what actually makes it good, the influences. As with many debut albums, Soma suffers from drawing a little too much inspiration from other artists and in some cases cramming too much into a single track and in some cases here, a little over long.
In summary, this is an interesting and enjoyable listen, with a lot to like and appreciate. I think Båkü just need to find their own feet and drop some of the more obvious traits from those who inspire them and find their own feet. Perhaps a sophomore release would address these issues, or maybe not. I wait with bated breath…
(3.5 / 5)
