For many,
parting from a decidedly modern sounding aesthetic of black metal, especially
if you’re an aficionado of fresh purveyors of grimness, is an unmistakably
difficult notion, though some will obviously be more induced by old school
characteristics rather than the voluptuous, youthful material that they seem to
be fed up with. My point is that every now and then we need to delve into our
wretched, raw past, not necessarily by traditional means but usually through
the musical skills of newer acts, so that we may have a larger scope of the
scene around us. However, bear in mind that this little rule has been applied
to the black metal tag for demonstrative purposes and not anything else (Like
death metal; we already have more bands than we can handle in that area). The
subjects here are the recent Quebecois frantic Neige Eternelle, yet another
desolate, somnolent cascade of mourn doused in French titles coming from the Montreal
black metal imprint Sepulchral Productions; a group of murderously cunning entrepreneurs
who caught my attention with a flurry of excellent releases as effortlessly and
slicing molten butter.
The Canadians
aren’t brand-new, but they’re still pretty young, having formed in 2008 and
having solely one demo and a live album at their belt. However, their
self-titled debut album is perhaps the most unmitigated, spectrally abusive
records I’ve heard in a long time, tracing its original aspects to the early
efforts of the second wave of Norwegian black metal, imbued with a carnal,
frosting ferocity that could be related to the savage, sluggish antics of early
proto-black metal acts or seminal black/thrash works from the late 80s. If I
had to give rough description of their swollen, frigid complex of riffs and atmospheric
tenets, I’d say it’s a cross between some early Burzum recordings, Darkthrone
circa 1992-1994, Ragnarok’s ‘’Arising Realm’’ and Ulver’s ‘’Nattens Madrigal…’’,
with a frenzied splash of early Sodom thrown in for a good measure. Of course,
with its influences so blatantly rooted to the early and much-lauded examples
of black metal, you’d hardly expects ‘’Neige Eternelle’’ to be the eccentric,
majestic beast of modernity, but with a terrific sense of agonized, demented riffing
and dilapidated production values supporting the stark contrast between real
life and the gelid, cavernous imagery created by the aural textures of this
album, you could do no wrong entering to this haunted cavern, the antithesis of
a warm and inviting amenity.
The riffs
are utterly unremitting and compellingly fierce, roiling amongst a wall of
charnel noise. Pick any track from the presented 8, and I guarantee you’ll be
experiencing the final glimpses of light of a man trapped in some primordial
den that’s about to collapse from the pressure of multiple ice stalagmites,
some unmentioned burrow from the Mountains of Madness. Despite the minuteness
of the influence spectrum, the riffs are abrasive and they don’t give a fuck
about what you think; bouncing off a hidden mountain burial ground and striking
you with voracious, static tenacity. Give the patterns that are constantly
followed and simplistic chord progressions, there isn’t even much innovation in
the riffing, yet, as stated, the pouring lament and mourn make you forget the
sheer lack of sophistication nearly the entire time. The howling, raucous
vocals are great in the least, and sometimes morph into these horrific wolf
howls which echo alongside the misfortunate guidance of the somber wind.
Perhaps
individually there’s not much to scrutinize, but introspecting the entire 43
minute span of this record is a truly rewarding experience. There were some
minor hindrances that escaped even the densest gatherings of anguish, and
admittedly this is not the best black metal I’ve heard this year, but Neige
Eternelle (which, by the way, translates into eternal snow, a very fitting
moniker) is driven with a pure and ferocious candor that has been solidly
executed. The prolonged stinging of the vocals kept me constantly stimulated
and irritated (in a good way), and the riffs themselves are hypnotically cold
enough to bury me in a six feet deep grave of snow. Through its successes and
minor miscalculations, ‘’Neige Eternelle’’ is a goodly pick for Sepulchral
Productions and a record worthy of any old school black metal enthusiast’s
attention and unflinching fervor. I'm sure nobody was expecting this to be some soothing jazz medley, judging by the album art and album title, but still, when you enter, there’s no way of attaining
salvation. Hiding in the frost-peppered forest will only postpone your demise. Doleful, winter-beaten revulsion.
Highlights:
Cri de Guerre
L'appel de la Mort
Pluie de Coteaux
Rating: 86%
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