I know most of Neige et Noirceur’s back catalogue, and I think it’s fair to say that this one-man project always has an interesting take on black metal. This album is no exception. As the title may suggest it is a tribute to the composer J.S. Bach comprising ”5 pieces of baroque dark ambient with a touch of métal noir québécois”.

So what happens when a famous German classical organist meets atmospheric Canadian black metal? It all begins with Prelude 926. It is very sombre. There’s the lapping of the waves, the sound of footsteps and the quiet and eerie sound of the church organ. It’s hard not to think of Burzum at this point. The ambient mood becomes more disturbing and sinister as the sound expands and makes crashing waves while a man preaches his harsh litany. For a moment it is as if the walls have come tumbling down but then to the drone of the organ we are seemingly floating in darkest space. The church organ gloomily takes us out amid a distant storm. The winds rustle and a female voice whispers as Prelude 942 F starts. The voice is distant. The deep symphonic sound is melancholic and hypnotising. The atmosphere gets gloomier and then after more spoken words a choir strikes up, bringing grandeur to the empty scene of vastness. Prelude 941 F begins. The atmosphere is funereal. We float listlessly in the dark, guided by the expressive organ and its slow drone.

In amongst these pieces is Invention 9 F. Now this is in the same style – sombre and dark – but with a metal inspired heaviness. The mood is the same but all of a sudden this album becomes more powerful thanks to this 16 minute invention. Progress is slow but majestic. The atmosphere of a giant cathedral is still there but this is black metal with the scornful guitar riff and vocal roars, but merged into the dark and expansive framework. It’s something vast and gigantic, making me wish we’d had 5 inventions instead of 4 minor preludes and one invention. Prelude 935 F concludes the album. Cathedral darkness prevails.

Fittingly the cover art is of Bruegel the Hermit. This work is for solitary souls. Always sombre, cold and at times majestic, this is an interesting addition to the Neige et Noirceur collection.

(7.5/10 Andrew Doherty)

https://www.facebook.com/Neige-et-Noirceur-666675096758030

https://neigeetnoirceur.bandcamp.com/album/bach-preludium-minor