Review Summary: Gris have exceeded all expectations with À l’âme enflammée, l’äme constellée… and created what is perhaps one of the most ambitious and innovative depressive black metal albums in recent times. For fans of the genre, this is essential listening
When Gris released
Il ètait une forêt... in 2007, the underground celebrated the birth of a passionate new band that took the depressive black metal subgenre to new levels of pain and despair. Now, five and a half years later, the duo of Icare and Neptune return with their sophomore effort, a monolithic double album entitled
À l’âme enflammée, l’äme constellée… that is sure to please fans and find them some new ones in the process.
It is clear from the outset that years of work have gone into this album, ensuring that it not only matches but surpasses the high standard set by its predecessor. Acoustic opener “L’Aube” is merely a mood-setter for the fifteen-minute epic “Les Forges,” which perfectly encompasses everything that makes this band special. Acoustic and classical elements are prominent, adding an otherworldly and sorrowful dimension to the melancholic black metal sections, resulting in a sound reminiscent of bands such as Agalloch and Drudkh. The change in musical style is also accompanied by a slight alteration in the vocal department, where Icare has fittingly adjusted his unhinged shrieks to sound more pained and desperate rather than tortured and suicidal. Fans of the last album might find this to be a downside of the new release, but the change is a suitable one and Icare manages to pull it off brilliantly.
Speaking of change, the production on
À l’âme enflammée, l’äme constellée… is absolutely superb for a black metal record. Gone is the buzzing guitar tone from
Il ètait... and in its place is a wonderfully full and enveloping atmosphere that shows off Gris’ newfound progressive tendencies. Every instrument can be heard clearly but the sound is still very raw and bare-boned. Perhaps the most impressive performance comes courtesy of the bass, which is noticeable throughout most of the album’s 80-minute duration. It certainly adds an interesting new dimension to the typical guitar-and-drum dominated black metal sound, and works perfectly alongside the somewhat tribal drumming and post-metal-inspired build-ups.
The only issue certain to plague
À l’âme enflammée... is its length. Two discs and almost one and a half hours of dark and depressing black metal is the furthest thing from easy listening imaginable, and the album certainly loses some of its initial charm as it goes on. However, it has been split into two symmetrical parts for a reason, with both halves featuring near-identical track orderings that make for much more digestible 40 minutes sessions. This also helps overcome the strains of a consistently mid-tempo pace, as Gris avoid using blastbeats and thrash riffs in favour of a doomier, more atmospheric approach.
Gris have exceeded all expectations with
À l’âme enflammée, l’äme constellée… and created what is perhaps one of the most ambitious and innovative depressive black metal albums in recent times. For fans of the genre, this is essential listening.
Originally written for Echoes and Dust: http://echoesanddust.com/2013/06/gris/
