Album Review: Melt – The Secret Teaching of Sorrow (Self Released)

The Secret Teaching of Sorrow is the 2nd album from French dark alternative rock quartet Melt. The band originally started as a duo when vocalist Charlotte and guitarist Oliver met in October 2007. During the first 8 years of living together they created the first Melt demos, in what can only be described as chaos.

The result was a very personal combination of rock and metal: screaming – not with your guts but with your soul. The music is dark, but ironically Charlotte and Oliver formed the band in pursuit of light and hope in the world. In 2015 these two roaming souls met Roméo (drums) and Jux (bass guitar) – and so Melt could finally become a band, playing on every kind of stage in their area for the next 5 years.

Olivier and Charlotte both play guitar, while Charlottes writes lyrics and sings in her own unique way: her lyrics are “oniric” – a mix of English and sometimes an imaginary, invented language, disconnected from the earthly world.

The Secret Teaching of Sorrow will be released on June 19th 2020.

Uniquely pretty while also delivering an exciting showcase of melodramatic alternative rock. Immediately grasping the attention with Moth, it’s not just Charlotte’s voice that stands out. A strong set of riffs, melodies and percussion get the nod of approval.

On the Brink is a short stepping stone to Hellion, the former mostly just a poignant piano melody. The same melody that leads us into the energetic, emotive and thrilling effort that is Hellion. This is the track that you play to someone who convince them of the quality that Melt have in their ranks.

How do you follow that? By delivering a more mellow and sweet number in the form of Land. Which is a showcase of vocal range more than anything else. In the Field is just ambient noise and the sound of someone walking. Before the mood gets a bit darker, emotional and down-right heavy with On This Earth. Another unbelievable offering.

Anything else at this stage is just a bonus but no-one told Melt that it seemed, as Mind and Adarsh are as quality as anything that came before.

One final ‘intermission’ style track with One Last Midnight (eerie) leads to Sangria, a mostly instrumental track that has folkish elements amongst its other-worldly sounds.

A spectacular album.

Melt – The Secret Teaching of Sorrow Full Track Listing:

1. We Shall No All Sleep In Death
2. Moth
3. On The Brink
4. Hellion
5. Land
6. In The Field
7. On This Earth
8. Mind
9. Adarsh
10. One Last Midnight
11. Sangria

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