Moonreich are a French black metal quartet who started off in 2008 as a solo project by founding member, Weddir (Guitar and vocals). Then in 2009 (after a disastrous gig) he decided to recruit new members: Odarec-drums, Macabre-bass and Arawn-guitars, into the fray. Thus spawning the current line-up of Moonreich, who went on to release 2 EPs (Zoon Politikon-2009, and Curse Them, 2012) and 1 album (Loi Martiale, 2011) respectively.
The band plays a solid stream of aggressive black metal music similar in the veins of Watain and Marduk with themes ranging on warfare and its aftermath .The EP contains four tracks which clocks in at a total of 21:39 minutes of tense music to say the least.
Curse Them opens with ‘Slay the Prophet’, a 7:45 minutes track which sets the mood through various atmospheric soundscapes set over a inaudible voice-over, followed by the chime of a church bell which signals the start of the musical dirge filled with shrieking screams, blast beats and buzzing guitars tone. What make this track unique is the sections of guitar harmonics which breaks the monotony of a long (duration) track, and also adds flavor to the usual Black metal genre.
This is followed by The Serpent Presaging Sinister and the EP title track; Curse them, both of which are good solid tracks which comprises fast guitars and even faster drum beats to match! The EP ends with a rendition of American Deathrock band, Christian Death’s Deathwish, which surprisingly sounds better than the original, with its more metal feel and growling vocals to boot.
Though practically new to the European underground metal scene, Moonreich has craved a name for itself with its current release, Curse Them, and its debut album, Loi Martiale. Look forward to good things by this band in the years ahead as they are set to take the underground scene by storm.
7.5/10 Imran M
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