French Ixion may be categorized as atmospheric doom, although diehard cohorts of, say, My Dying Bride may not entirely approve of the designation since for them Ixion might not be heavy enough and do not play the style entirely by the book. Yet, somehow I think that it is exactly the point for these Frenchmen to stretch the boundaries and explore different shades of doom. In fact, those seeking classic harsh oppressive music may be disappointed with Ixion, while those into stately harmonies may discover themselves a new favorite. I would invite fans of early Tiamat and ever-changing Lake of Tears to explore Enfant de la Nuit.

To make sure, there are plenty of strong and heavy undercurrents on the album, buttressed by sustaining double bass over which gothic melodies flow (The Shining). The sound like that is not prevalent, however, on Enfant de la Nuit. To get truly ominous Ixion resorts to being practically industrial, exuding some metallic notes in Doom, a pretty literal title for a song. Most of the time, though, the band straddles the line between the aforementioned atmospheric doom, a touch of symphonics and characteristic European darkwave style. Ghost in the Shell may begin as a puffed up Draconian with male bottom dwelling vocals and occasional female oh-ahs, but a composition like Promised Land is totally darkwave, growing tragic and big in the process. Discovery has an icy synth opening worthy of such countrymen like Didier Maruani or Jean-Michele Jarre. There is also Kauan-like piano coldness (at the end of Doom), marine soundscapes in Allegiance, the track which ends up with driving gothic rock.

Variation is the name of the game on Enfant de la Nuit, including vocal styles (from harsh to clean), and I hope I have spent enough time mentioning all possible variations of doom and melancholic music describing the album, so that you get an impression how multi-faceted Ixion can be. The ultimate purpose, however, is always the same – to come of floating and dreamy, just like the front cover art depicts. While no track threw me on my knees in reverential awe, nothing on Enfant de la Nuit caused revolting disgust either, making the album a well-rounded and generally enjoyable experience.