(To mark its release, Andy Synn has the pleasure and the privilege of writing about the fourth, and final, album from Eryn Non Dae.)
There is no way of talking about the new album from NCS-approved post-genre provocateurs Eryn Non Dae. without addressing the unexpected passing of their long-time vocalist, Mathieu Nogues Boisgard, in 2023.
Something like that would devastate any band, and I’m sure we all would have understood if the group had chosen to call it a day then and there in order to spend time processing their grief and dealing with their loss.
But the one small mercy amidst this tragedy, however, was that Boisgard had not only already set a title, Disunited States of Anima, and completed the lyrics for the record, but had also demo’d his vocal parts in a way which meant they could – if necessary – be used to complete the album.
And that’s exactly what the band decided to do, honouring his memory by dedicating the last couple of years to slowly, and diligently, bringing his final work (and his final words) to life.
That, however, is also the last time I am going to mention this particular aspect of the record’s development, as while it is undoubtedly important context I’d like to think that Boisgard wouldn’t have wanted the album to be defined by the tragic circumstances surrounding its creation but rather judged solely on its own musical merit.
Which is exactly what I’m going to do.
