The Pitch: Toulouse, France black metal group Heir joins the ranks of Les Acteurs De l'Ombre Productions to release their debut full length album Au Peuple de l'Abîme:"To the People of the Abyss." FFO: Regarde Les Hommes Tomber, Hark, Wildernessking
What I Like: Au Peuple de l'Abîme is a raging fire befitting of it's album's title. The fuming, relentless tremolos and blastbeats are among the fastest and most aggressive I have heard in the genre to date; imitating all at once the danger, beauty, and unpredictibility of a rising flame. And while I have some qualms with the lacking originality detailed below, Heir manage to scorch the listener quite fully in their passionately crafted conflagration. Between the instumentation and powerfully grim vocal performance, it's difficult to fault this album when it comes to energy and authenticity. Furthermore, the pacing is decent. We get plenty of doomy, post-black influenced breaks in the action that broaden the scope of the band's sound and allow the more vicious moments to really stand out.
Critiques: This band shows a lot of promise, but they don't sound like they have yet fully evolved into a distinct black metal entity. Given that this album is actually a union of their previous EP's, I am interested to hear what new material will sound like in the future. They have the basics down with a lush approach to production, but I crave more individualized identity.
The Verdict: All said and done, Au Peuple de l'Abîme is probably not an album that will blow you away on an intellectual level, but i's ferocity and power won't fail to burn you to the ground. Heir are another black metal band to watch in the future. Let's hope they are up to the challenge of taking on this severely bloated genre with some new ideas.
Flight's Fav's: L’Âme des Foules, Au Siècle des Siècles
-Review by FlightOfIcarus
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