Nord (Year of No Light album)

Nord is the debut full-length album by French post-metal band Year of No Light, released in 2006. It was originally released by Radar Swarm (CD), E-Vinyl & Atropine (LP), and reissued later by Crucial Blast for the US version.

Description
The album is the last recorded with singer and keyboardist Julien Perez in the lineup, and consists of ten tracks (eleven on the vinyl version).

In 2007 North was distributed in the U.S. market through Crucial Blast, while a deluxe edition including a second CD was made available on 14 May 2012, collecting all the tracks made the group between 2004 and 2008 and originally included in the various splits or collections.

Reception
Ned Raggett of AllMusic praised the album, assigning four and a half stars out of five, writing that "tracks such as the opening Sélénite and the magnificent, central piece of Nord, Les mains de l'empereur, have the immediate and easy power of veteran bands, combining memorable riffs with an epic atmosphere"; the critic also appreciated the guitar work, likened to the heavier sounds of the Cure, and Perez's vocal performance.

Keith Bergman of Blabbermouth.net on the other hand offered a more mixed review of North, explaining that while it is a well-crafted record, "it brings nothing to the table that defines them personally. Put a needle on this record in a random spot in the middle, and you would immediately know who their influences are, but not who this particular band is."

Personnel

 * Year of No Light
 * Bertrand Sébenne – drums
 * Jérôme Alban – guitar
 * Pierre Anouilh – guitar
 * Julien Perez – vocals, keyboards
 * Johan Sébenne – bass


 * Technical personnel
 * Serge Morattel – engineering and mixing
 * Alan Douches – mastering
 * Greg Vezon – album art and design