The Pitch: Excellent French label Les Acteurs De L'Ombre is at it again with more oppressive black metal, this time from Paris' Moonreich. FFO: In Cauda Venenum, Wiegedood, Raventale
What I Like: Moonreich is equal parts aggressive black metal, atmospheric journey, and depressive doom aesthetic. There are your Mayhem/Taakeish, punky chord progressions, as well as lengthy stretches of evocative tremolo runs. Everything about their presentation is harsh and suffocating; the vocals are vicious and raspy, the performances raw, and the production leaves a certain roughness around the edges. And despite remaining true to the classic roots of the genre, the band also incorporate a few more melodic (but still depressive) elements as with "Carry That Drought Cause I Have No Arms Anymore" and "Fugue (Part II : Every Time The Earth Slips Away)." There's a cool progression on "The Things Behind The Moon" that actually reminded me a little of Gojira. On a more suprficial note, the book-style packaging and artwork for the CD version is very impressive.
Critiques: At almost an hour in length and with songs averaging between 7 and 10 minutes, Fugue has some fat to trim. Compositions can get a little repetetitive and lose forward momentum. This black metal blade could use some sharpening.
The Verdict: Moonreich still have some lessons they could learn about pacing and overall composition, but even so Fugue ends up being another worthwhile outing in the LADLO catalog. If you like your black metal heavy on the 2nd wave, but with a handful of extra tricks, this album should serve you well.
Flight's Fav's: Fugue (Part I : Every Time She Passes Away), Carry That Drought Cause I Have No Arms Anymore
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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