For this article, I will explain the gears I used to record “The Beauty of Doubt”. I start with the guitars, then will come Bass, Drums and Synths on other posts.

For the guitars, I principally used my Gibson SG standard. It has a sound that I’m really in love with since the first day. I used it on almost all the titles excepting “Self-Mystery Girl”, principally for all the lead guitars cause it had a more sensual and luscious sound than my other guitars.

In addition of this guitar comes a Fender Stratocaster I used on clean tracks for “Beloved” and on all the “Self-Mystery Girl” guitars. The Fender Clean sound is iconic and fits with the coldwave sound I developped on previous albums.

I also used my Gibson SG Future on rhythm guitars for “Elegiac Frustration” and “Lustful Feelings” cause these songs needed a more rough and saturated sound, and this guitar is a good choice for this kind of sound.

For this album I made big use of Ebow, it’s an electronic device that makes notes endless. This effect is awesome and add a more dramatic touch to our music. You can hear it on the chorus of “Beloved”, on the ending lead of “Elegiac Frustration”, in the middle of “Lustful Feelings”, on the rainy guitars of “Endless” and on the dramatic final of “The Beauty of Doubt”. 5 songs on the 7 of the album.

For the effects, I only used analog pedals (except the Reverb one) from Marshall, Mxr and Electro-Harmonix. For the distorsion I used the Guv’nor that has a warm sound (even with a lack of treble) I really love with good low end. For songs “Elegiac Frustration” and “Lustful Feelings” I used the Jackhammer that has a more aggressive sound.

Now the Chorus Effect, it’s an effect I do love and never switch off, getting a richer sound. I used the MXR Analog Chorus that gives a warm effect without being too invading.

I also used on songs “Self-Mystery Girl”, “Endless” (on lead guitars), “Lustful Feelings” (on chorus lead guitars) the MXR Flanger. Very good pedal, always musical without drowning the guitar in its effect.

For the Delay, effect I also never switch off, I only used the Electro-Harmonix Memory Man. It’s an analog one, the sound is dirtier than a digital one (that I used on previous albums) but fits better in the sound by adding a luscious feel without drowning the guitar with its echos.

And at last, I used a TC Electronics Arena Reverb. It’s a digital one but I prefer Digital reverb more detailed and realistic adding space and air to the sound.

I forgot, I also used an Electro-Harmonix Bad Stone Phaser on the “Endless” rainy guitar, giving movement to the ebow lead.

A new live video from our last concert is now online on our Youtube Channel.

This video is mixing the songs of our setlist and videos with full songs are coming soon.

Setlist:

1. Beloved
2. Self-Mystery Girl
3. Romantic Sweep
4. Unbound Pleasure
5. The Beauty of Doubt
6. Lustful Feelings
7. Unveiled Illusion
8. Diamonds

New review for our last album “The Beauty of Doubt” in the french Magazine Twice #71. We thank them for their dedication and review.

“(…) Un Rock Gothique classique, sans bavure et sans excès, qui ravira les puristes lui attribuant alors une forte distinction Gothique. Les voix féminines se font plus présentes cependant et apportent douceur et poésie sur le fond sombre du phrasé d’Alexis.

(…)

Une belle production donc des mélodies variées et particulièrement réussies sur “The Beauty of Doubt” qui achève l’album à la manière de My Dying Bride, en pleurant, les genoux au sol…”

As a tradition for all people, it’s my turn to let you know about my top 10 albums on this last decade. It includes the albums I most listened to during these years in chronological order.

1 – Zola Jesus “Stridulum II” (2010)

Her second album. Very personal and new from me at this time, I was completely seduced by her voice and her electronic music. The first song is a cult one fro me.

2 – Dead Can Dance “Anastasis” (2012)

Their great return with an awesome album. All is perfect on this one, great arrangements, great hypnotic songs. And the tour following this new album was a blast for me. I rarely heard a so powerful and clear live sound. Perfect!

3 – Christina Aguilera “Lotus” (2012)

Everybody knows that i’m a huge Christina Aguilera fan for years. With this album she came back and with great modern songs. The album didn’t reach all I expected in the media but for me it’s one of her best album.

4 – My Dying Bride “A Map of All our Failures” (2012)

This album is my favourite of this band, the songs are really heavy and desperate without being boring. The album is powerful and emotionnal. I love their way of making music.

5 – Indochine “Black City Parade” (2013)

Not their best album but probably one I listened a lot (with Paradize and Alice & June). Black City Parade contains really good songs but the album is quite too long. Without 2 or 3 songs it could be great.

6 – Icona Pop “Icona Pop” (2013)

Everybody knows that I always loved Female Pop and this band was representing for me a fresh air and gave me some inspirations for my most danceable songs.

7 – Tying Tiffany “Drop” (2014)

An artist I do love, this is her last album I think and probably her best (with “People Temple”).

8 – Lana Del Rey “Ultraviolence” (2014)

I fell in love with Lana Del Rey with her previous one, I was expecting an awesome album but this one was far higher than I expected. The songs are very powerful and emotionnal with great guitar arrangements. The albums that followed were much disapointing comparing to “Ultraviolence” and I can’t listened to them without being bored.

9 – The Mission “Another Fall From Grace” (2016)

I don’t really know all their career, I only knew their hit single but this album is really awesome. For all Gothic-Rock Fan!

10 – Gary Numan “Savage” (2017)

I didn’t know very much his career, only his early 80’s albums I listened many years ago. With this album I discovered a great artist who kept his unique voice since his first hit “Are friends electric”. His recent albums (since “Pure” in 2000) are perfect, I encourage you to listen these.

It’s a little bit weird to say that 10 Years ago I was just starting to record the very first album “Lovelorn”. At that time I didn’t know that Lyncelia will become my prinicpal project, my goal, my life and that 10 years later we’ll be here more living than before.

I always keep few memories from recording session, maybe all the energy put on concentration erase my memories. I remember that these sessions were specials, it was the first recording made on my own in my studio just before quitting my room to a new appartment with more place. I discovered my style and my sound, all had to be done.

Equipped with my Lâg Arkane Gtr, my bass, my Virus TI and few Vst Instruments, I started these sessions to record the album “Lovelorn” making a first step for Lyncelia.

All the tracks were recorded in few days, first the drums and the Synths, then the Guitars, the bass and the voice. For the instruments, all goes very well but for the vocals it was quite harder. I wasn’t used to sing and I was searching for my voice. I had much headaches, disappointment and doubt when I recorded these vocals. I was depressed and angry to didn’t manage to perform what I had in my head. By the way, I was forced to do with that, to accept it and it forged my vocals style that, I hope, nobody can make it the same.

It also was my very experience on designing a cover album. I made it with a picture I took of a real Blue Rose my mother had. It was the perfect thing for this album and fitted so well on my music. I learnt the basis of cover design such as resolution, BCYM colors, cover size and more on Photoshop.

I’m still proud of this album even if I hear lots of defaults on it (both on the songs or on the sound) but I did the best I can at this time and I still had much pleasure to play these songs on stage.

First review of our new album “The Beauty of Doubt” on Forces Parallèles Webzine (french language).

“sur ce nouvel opus on a clairement la sensation que chaque titre a été travaillé pour être unique et avoir une identité marquée, immédiatement reconnaissable.
Et quand en plus leur positionnement est effectué de manière judicieuse, difficile de ne pas affirmer qu’à tous les niveaux le groupe a franchi un palier.”

(…)

“LYNCELIA vient de publier son œuvre la plus aboutie et maîtrisée depuis la création du projet en 2008. The Beauty of Doubt devient le quatrième élément d’une discographie pertinente, atypique et équilibrée”

Full Review on http://fp.nightfall.fr/index_13404_lyncelia-the-beauty-of-doubt.html

…When burning Passion runs into your veins comes The Beauty of Doubt…

This new album contains 7 songs of Gothic-Rock / Coldwave at its finest art with the brand and sensibility that characterizes Lyncelia since its first album.

With “The Beauty of Doubt”, Lyncelia follow its ascension to  the sensual expression about unknown Beauty.

Order directly your CD: www.lyncelia.com/lyncelia-shop

Order Digital Album: www.lyncelia.bandcamp.com

The new album “The Beauty of Doubt” will be available on CD and Digital on 11th October 2019. For this special date, we’ll publish our new video “Beloved”.

CD version will be available on our official shop www.lyncelia.com/lyncelia-shop

CD and Digital will be available on our bandcamp page www.lyncelia.bandcamp.com .

Our new video for the song “Beloved” is coming soon.

The video will be released with the new album this October 2019.

We shot the fictional part this summer on a Normandy beach and we shot the band’s part on september. The video clip is about the myth of Andromeda.

We hope you’ll like it.

Today I put the light on a band that didn’t exist and too fast forgotten: Din (A) Tod and their awesome second album “Westwerk”.

Sold at this time by Out of Line as a band making old shool 80’s Coldwave with a modern 00’s feel. I guessed what it could be and I went to their website to listen some excerpt that convinced me.

I order the album and it was a blast. All was perfect in this album: Energy, Sound, modernity, voices, songs. An awesome disc that changed many things in Lyncelia early days.

The first song gives the tune, energy, synths, drum machines and coldwave guitars; but the second song “Westwerk” had my intentions with the drum soud (especially the snare one, I’m still searching for a snare like that) and the Cure / Joy Division simple bass part. The voice, low and sensual, told me how I had to sing in Lyncelia.

This album contains lots of good songs as “Glory in the highest” with its female and languorous voice for a song with lots of synths in a melancholic and gothic feel. A masterpiece I’m not fed up to listen.

They made a cover of Joy Division “Warsaw” in a good modern version but not as good as the original one. One of the last songs “Flames on clavary” is on of my favorite. A songs with lots of synths but what a song. Hypnotizing with these sounds enveloping me in a sonic balance with female voice and mid-tempo drum machine beating hard.

It’s a shame this band didn’t go further after this 2nd album. I was waiting for another one. Din (A) Tod could go further and become a great international band. But I understand, it’s hard to make a better album than “Westwerk”.

– Alexis –