Confusion reigned. Truly. In 2021, Evadne released The Pale Light of Fireflies. A record, which – at that time – didn’t make the cut over at the RMR review desk. If our mutual memory is correct, it was the strange choices of the band when to metal and when not that held us back from coverage.
Now, four years of water have gone under the proverbial bridge, and Evadne presents us with The Fragile Light of Fireflies. Meaning, the band releases the same material all over again. Only this time, you get the Post Metal, kind of unplugged version of the same all over again. That would normally be a no-go on our zine. But let’s remember that Final Coil did something similar not that long ago, and they pretty much won a prize over at the RMR office tower.
And that piqued our curiosity big time. Because often, those metal bands deliver outstanding material when they go unplugged on ye. But will Evadne have the chops to pull that one off? That’s no easy feat. So, break out them acoustic guitars and let the clears convince the grouchy geezers of the RMR Review Desk. Dim the lights.
The Fragile Light of Fireflies, for sure, won’t win over any new metalheads. This new version of an old record is quietly reflective. Gone are all attempts at smothering you with melancholy-laden Melodic and Doom Death Metal à la Rise to the Sky. And in come haunting pianos, tasty acoustic guitars, weeping strings, and clear-voice vocals only. All of that expressed in a robe of gothically-tainted Alternative Rock with a roughened folksy look and feel. And quite unexpectedly, the band managed to inject some smooth sensual groove into their usually rough-hewn trademark sound (Under Blessed Skys, Where Silence Dwells). An important tidbit of a tastefully constructed production full of quietly weeping atmosphere and wispy musings.
An important factor of the allure The Fragile Light projects is the inclusion of fitting guest vocalists. Interestingly, all of the contenders already present on the plugged metal version were again invited to partake. Carline Van Roos (Lethian Dreams) and Jaani Peuhu (ex Swallow the Sun) again took care of the same positions that they already occupied on The Pale Light. Interestingly, Natalia Drepina, who appeared on our zine on the last of the Rise to the Sky‘s reviews, takes care of female vocals on Shadows. There’s a handful more, but we leave it at these three for now.
The record sports some sort of amazing, majestic flow to the production that stays stable and alert until the very end. And that resulted in a couple of masterfully crafted tracks. The aforementioned Under Blessed Sky impressed this crew with its symbiotic conversation of piano and guitar, completed by multilayered vocals. A track, sailing kinda close in spirit but not in deed to the occupants of the dirty motel, specifically their unplugged version of Blood Planet Child.
Hollow Realms – the filet piece of the album featuring Jaani Peuhu, just took the cake. On this specific track, the focus is yet again on a harmonious mix of different instruments with a better focus on quietly integrated strings. And it is only towards the very end of the album that you’ll find some loss of focus (The Vacuum). But these are minor quibbles compared to the outstanding quality of the rest of the record.
Ultimately, The Fragile Light of Fireflies truly turned into the surprise of the Year of the Unholy Lord of 2025. The artistry and craftsmanship available on this record are next level. The RMR crew found a metal band outpacing their own work with the unplugged version of their latest concoction of metal extremes. In a way, Evadne geekily combined a Post Metal version of atmospherically charged Alcest-y vibes and Ellende’s lost thoughts, the wispy dreamscape of a sleepwalking Final Coil, and the alternative ways some parts of Dawnwalker already undertook. And that is indeed a feat not many have achieved so far.
Lastly, The Fragile Light is complex fare, and it will take a while to sink in. So, as we said before, dim the lights and settle in for several long listening sessions. Get immersed in the wondrous spiel of the fireflies. You won’t regret it.
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Meuse Music | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 13 June 2025