Black Metal kind of makes me laugh, probably more so than any other genre. It tries super hard to be scary and evil and is actually just a bunch of nerds. Don’t get me wrong I’m a total nerd myself so I’m in the same camp. Just look at Corpsepaint though, if you showed that to anyone with no knowledge of Metal they’d just laugh, it doesn’t exactly incite fear, and the same could be said for any other stage attire from varying genres, I’m not hating, it just makes me chuckle.

Giving us real big nerd vibes today are Crépuscule D’Hiver a French solo project by Stuurm. The project unleashed a demo in 2018 called Songes Hérétiques and have since got themselves a deal with Les Acteurs De L’Ombre Productions to release their debut record Par-Delà Noireglaces Et Brumes-Sinistres (I hope your French is better than mine). Promising a medieval sound and combination of Black Metal and Dungeon Synth I was eager to give it a spin.

Que La Gloire Soit Notre! The album’s opening instrumental will make you wish you were drinking mead with your fellow brothers in arms on the eve of war. The classic adventure hook of ‘you meet in a tavern’ springs to mind, a beautiful display of Dungeon Synth. Then it’s to battle with Le Sang Sur Ma Lame, an epic blend of Medieval Dungeon Synth and Raw Black Metal that is sure to please any RPG enthusiast. It’s every bit as Symphonic, epic and laced in steel as one would expect. Héraut De L’infamie is pretty much of the same ilk, if you’re into Pagan/ Viking Black Metal then this is sure to tickle your fancy, there is a definite Folk air about the record, I’m personally all for it.

It would probably be pretty easy to say that this album is tiresome, I mean by the time we reach Tyran De La Tour Immaculée we’ve kind of heard it all. That said as a soundtrack to your weekly D&D session or some background music whilst gaming this is perfect. That’s not a diss either as I’m all for a bit of ambience here and there, even to this level of Blackened extremity. Les Larmes D’un Spectre Vagabond at least serves to break things up with another instrumental, another top tier track for DS lovers. Then it’s into the final push with the titular track, twenty minutes long! Is it necessary, probably not. I still really appreciate the album and track but by this point I’m kind of over it, really things could have ended with the last instrumental.

So my flaws for this record would be pretty simple, not enough variation and too long. Sure the album is only just over the hour mark, but it feels a lot longer. As I’ve said before as a soundtrack to a night of board games this would be perfect but I can’t see myself indulging in this as a stand alone item. It ticks all the boxes for me but really when you break it down into Black Metal and Dungeon Synth it’s generic in both areas, thus combined there is little room where the album tries anything new, if you’re into this kind of thing though you’ll probably dig it.

(7/10 George Caley)

https://www.facebook.com/crepusculedhiver

https://ladlo.bandcamp.com/album/par-del-noireglaces-et-brumes-sinistres