If it’s French and it’s black metal then it is bound to be strange, weird or even plain bizarre and whilst not as bizarre as some French black metal beasts out there it’s close enough to bamboozle the listener with an onslaught of schizophrenic arrangements from the moment “Multi Sunt Vocati” kicks off as the intro piece which announces the burning brimstone of “In Pulverem Reverteris” with its off the wall tempo style and virtually random style black attack. The shifts in pace appear from nowhere and the twisted vocal personalities add theatrics and a feeling of intense intimidation. At the heart of the music is 90s black metal with any number of acts from that time being used as a guide for comparison, take your pick I guess. Part of the weirdness is similar to Aosoth in parts with the dense battering being equivalent. The two part “Hystérie Révélatrice” begins with breathing noises and serves as an intro before the droning drums and riff of the second part filter through. As the tune continues the chaotic nature of the band unfolds leaving you scratching your head, bewildered and bemused at the pandemonium stretching out before you. I honestly wrote down black mathcore here, as the guitar work is all over the place, and the sheer desperate schizoid arrangements had Abruptum appear momentarily in my mind due to the unerring bedlam on display.
“Dogma” precedes as an interlude before “To Become Or Die” a more or less proper black metal onslaught that is hellishly fast and take on the guise of someone like Temple Of Baal. Demonic and anarchic the song is relentless but with the multi vocal style adopted there is also Root beating at the cold heart of the Malhkebre beast. “AMDG” has a good guitar hook, one to remember, as the more or less instrumental tune tortures the listener with some very strange vocals, which seem effect laden to these ears. As the album hits its last couple of tracks the ferocity and intensity is amplified with ” The Truth Must Be Doubted For Victory” tearing along at ridiculous speed before veering off into some mid era Satyricon like riffing, though this act is difficult to pigeon hole overall due to the bands determination to throw random sections at you. “In Hoc Signo Vinces” closes the album with a melancholic guitar hook and vocals that sound like a drunk guy walking down the street shouting inanely and for no reason. Once into the black metal the tune has touches of Voivod on the guitar sound, I kid you not, it’s very strange to listen to but also enthralling too if you don’t mind being assailed with a myriad of different styles and textures.
(7.5/10 Martin Harris)
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