Year: 2021
Total Time: 52:01
Label: Les Acteurs de l’Ombre
France is one of the most reputable countries for the wine, the cheese and …the interesting extreme metal (especially the black kind). Living in France the last ten years I’ve been wondering about its peculiar music scene. You see, the French had their “musette” at the beginning of the 20th century, their famous cabaret and innovative jazz scene before and after the second war, the notorious “chanson française”, their proper rock’n’roll and a very popular hip hop scene all of the above mostly in French and all of them still alive in 2021. The different genres not only blossomed in Paris and in other French cities but they managed to claim their place in a very active and relatively “closed” market until nowadays.
That goes for the metal also: there are the big festivals like Motocultor and Hellfest but also metal clubs and music scenes. There are the big names like GOJIRA, DEATHSPELL OMEGA, ALCEST but also a huge scene bellow “the top” with many bands such as ANOREXIA NERVOSA, THE GREAT OLD ONES, DELUGE, BELENOS, PENSÉES NOCTURNES, DYSPHORIE just to name a few with their own supportive and very loyal fanbase. Interestingly, it wasn’t the capital the genre’s cradle and even if Paris is the center of France’s cultural activity, the French black metal was nurtured all over the country with a huge network of small labels, fanzines and fan clubs supporting the artists and playing a key role since its beginning during the 90s.
One of the protagonists in this nurturing of the French black metal is the label Les Acteurs de l’Ombre. Its roster includes some of the most important French artists of the underground with one of them being the band LES CHANTS DE NIHIL.
The group was created back in
2007 as an experimental duo (led by Jerry and Mist) and until this day that the
band plays as a quartet, they’ve given us 5 full length albums, one Ep and two
demos. I’d say that throughout their career they haven’t released a mediocre
album with my personal favorite being “Propagande Érogène” (2011). The band
comes from Brittany, they sing in Breton (or Gallo, I am sorry I cannot tell
the difference) and also in French and the themes they address in their lyrics
are relevant to melancholy, eroticism, nostalgia, elitism etc.
Their 2021 “Le Tyran et l’esthète” is their first album with Les Acteurs de
l’Ombre and it sure is a grand endeavor. The first video came out in August
2020 and is for the song “Ma doctrine, ta vanité”. The video follows Jerry
(music, lyrics, artworks, guitars, vocals) working on the artwork of the album
on a big canvas in fast forward, while at the background the song kicks in with
a marching choir followed by Mist (guitars and vocals), Thomas (drums) and ÖberKommander
(bass and vocals). There is an excellent built up with the song evolving
alongside the artwork and the feeling of grandiose is prominent as we watch the
painting in all its glory, finished by the end of the song.
The black metal they deliver is lush, fast and rich. Their sound is modern and the production extremely detailed. Usually, I’d start bitching about how the old school sound is superior, darker etc. BUT here we have and exception (and there are many exceptions like this one in France). It has to do with the “French sound” which almost always serves faithfully a very specific artistic vision. So, the question that one has to ask before all is “does their sound serve their vision”. And the answer would be absolutely yes.
The albums opening is a very atmospheric overture which quickly explodes in the
second track’s starting blast beat. “Entropie des conquêtes éphémères” is a
song with the progressive element very prominent but at the same time it’s fast
and non-compromising. Choirs, tempo changes, interesting brakes, tight passages
leading to vast musical spaces. In the second track we have a taste of what to
expect for the rest of the album.
“Ma doctrine, ta vanité” follows, after which “L’adoration de la Terre”
introduces the listener to a slower pace and to melodies reminiscent of the
traditional Breton music evolving in a fierce black-pagan storm with catchy
riffs in the style of early IN THE WOODS while a very interesting interlude
which brings to mind VOIVOD and MEKONG DELTA intercepts before the outro.
“Danse des mort-nés” is an obliterating song filled with energy but not my favorite moment in the album. The homonym that follows starts with a mid-tempo military snare accompanied by tremolo riffing open cords and drum fills. A nice introduction for the havoc that comes in later on. The slow single line melodies and the choral parts over the blast-beats give the song an epic and otherworldly atmosphere while Jerry uses every tonal aspect of his sometimes growly, sometimes dry and raspy vocals to color the lyrics.
“Ode aux résignés” opens with an arpeggiated accompaniment while a very interesting guitar theme explores the melodic possibilities and this approach follows the song to its end while “Lubie hystérie” runs in full blown speed tremolo picking bringing to mind the northern side of Europe but always through the French black metal filter and “Sabordage du songeur” which closes the album is perhaps one of the most experimental and at the same time atmospheric moments of the album.
A huge part of the band’s music is their lyircs. Their poetic style is well-crafted and I believe that it’d take an extra effort even for the native speaker in order to analyse and deeply understand their meanings. But it’s an effort worth making as they treat the language with the same extreme detail as they do with their music and their artwork.
Closing my review, I’d say that this album isn’t for everyone. If you’re into the French scene and like bands like DEATHSPELL OMEGA probably you’ll dig it, if you understand French probably you’ll love it, if you appreciate a work of art that demands your utmost attention and commitment in order to fully enjoy it you’ll absolutely adore “Le Tyran Et L’esthète”.
Rating: 8/10
Editor: Yiannis Tziallas
Related Link: LES CHANTS DE NIHIL –Bandcamp Page
