Locus Noir began as a solo project, with Shadow Sun emerging as a full-length reflection on a formative youth shaped by gothic rock and metal. It’s an unguarded, creative laying bare of the soul—honest and expressive, yet carefully sidestepping the genre’s well-worn clichés.

Locus Noir is fronted by Ben DMN (Benjamin Nominet), also known for his work with Swiss industrial/death-wave outfit Sybreed. A dramatic baritone, he delivers confident, authoritative vocals over dark-wave-leaning compositions rooted in minor-key tonality, pairing introspective lyrics with an atmosphere of darkness, romance, and occasionally an undertone of sorrow. Lyrically Shadow Sun explores themes such as desire, decay, nocturnal introspection, and love and death. All firmly celebrating gothic romantic sensibility. But this album is not all doom and gloom, there are plenty of catchy, uplifting bangers.

Listeners will inevitably draw comparisons to Type O Negative, Paradise Lost, Unto Others, and The Sisters of Mercy. You don’t have to look far to join the dots. The most tangible link comes via the collaboration with Ben Christo on the track Cemetery Youth, where he joins the highly capable and versatile Claire Genoud on guitar. Christo is a respected guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, lyricist, and session musician in his own right, best known in recent years for his anchoring role with The Sisters of Mercy.

 

After the mysterious intro of Walpurgisnacht 1996, Shadow Sun has a great rocky tempo. The occasional guitar squeal reminds us that this is gothic metal, less goth ‘n’ roll. The industrial feel is lurking in this track too.

As mentioned, Ben Christo joins for Cemetery Youth. There are some lovely vocal harmonies and a floaty keyboard melody, reminiscent of U2’s Unforgettable Fire within this catchy song. Released as a single, it’s a memorable upbeat number.

A Dismal Romance (not to be confused with Gaga’s Bad Romance, although there is a Gaga cover hiding in here, read on to find out) could easily be about the exciting spark that is lit upon a chance romantic encounter, only to be brutally and disappointingly snuffed out.

Death, That Elusive Mistress stands out as a track that asserts authority, both in the vocal style and crushing guitar work, that includes a nice solo.

Hollow has a great intro and moves towards the epic, while in Full Moon Therianthropy the goth intro aptly emerges for a track exploring nocturnal shapeshifting. The tempo slows for the brooding Reburial before listeners are in for a big treat.

Marry the Night is a huge pick-me-up. A Gaga cover! And who doesn’t like a bit of Gaga? Many dark themes are explored in her music, in this case abandon, inclusion and resilience. In a short studio session, Locus Noir have shifted this song from 80s-style pop banger to a much darker arrangement that suits their mission.

How Harsh is the Light of Dawn is no slouch for a bonus track. It conjures visions of post all-nighter haze, and retreat, at least until the next time.

I enjoyed this—a solo endeavour that morphed into a full-blown band bringing out a thirteen-track debut album is no mean feat. The music could comfortably sit alongside many other metal genres in a festival line up, or indeed hold its own. I would anticipate a very strong Scandinavian fan base, Helsinki would be a fitting place for this to drop live!

Band Line up:
Ben DMN – Vocals
Claire Genoud – Guitar
Ales – Bass
Ben Marmier – Drums