This Normandy based trio are new to the label but have several albums prior to this one. They also contain members of bands such as Monarch, Ataraxie, Malemort and Void Paradigm among others. Although liking what I was hearing straight away something was not sitting comfortably in my head which has led to stupid OCD like over analysis here which at first took precedence over the music. It’s due to the fact that most sources state Sordide as a black metal band but I just could not see that. For a start there is nothing true or orthodox about sound or ideology that I could sense here or was there anything that I would class as naturistic in the atmospheric or post sense. It proved a dichotomy along with the vocals which have a guttural core type sensibility about them, a feel of at times punkish crust about the faster and pulverising delivery of some of the tracks. Then there is also the strange predominate white art and the title which translates to white ideas. Make no mistake this is “blackened” or even and I hate use the term “blackcore” but I just can’t call it black metal; stupid bloody head!
Anyway, what we get are 7 tracks and the first few are a sharp and fiery riff heavy blur of energy. In a way it is claustrophobic and I get the sense of living in a place of turmoil and a thriving busy city from it although having not been to historic Rouen whether that is the case or not is uncertain. Perhaps there’s a clue in the first song title Je n’ai nul pays (I have no country) which adds to a feel of a thriving built up conglomeration where nobody feels like they quite fit in. The sharp and angular guitar tones here are spiky and really create definition to the tracks, bristling along with indignant vocal roars and really hooking the listener and reeling them in. Despite melodicism its antagonistic and somewhat disenfranchised, yes this is a band that don’t fit in to anything particularly conventionally. The ‘Ruines futures’ we arrive at next feels like a battle is going off, it’s really boisterous and bruising, tensions are up and it’s not surprising the future is ruined. The mastery is clear in the glimmering guitar chords and their signature melody is excellent creating a dividing line in opposing forces before the final flattening segment. The vocals are certainly giving it a bit of a post hardcore flavour and there are elements that could be described as sludge as we continue; whatever way you describe it, this is good enough to head bang to so perhaps it doesn’t really matter.
The next couple of numbers see a large shift in the tempo slowing things down and taking the foot off the gas. ‘Ne savoir que rester’ is slow, ponderous and atmospherically bleak, it feels like one would do living in a large thriving city to me again. Lost, aimless, wandering and disenfranchised. This is all in a good way as far as the music is concerned though as it kind of speaks sharing its alienation in some ways and perhaps making one feel not so alone. There are others out there who feel the same way. There’s a mournful sound that looms through it a bit like a brass accompaniment, nothing is listed as such so perhaps this is all in the head too. Some delicate acoustic guitar brings more ideas to the title track and this too is a slow burner with some sudden angry aggression which like the rest of the album proves all is not quite black and white. The adrenaline is back on ‘Le silence ou la vie’ giving an urgency and fast race. I am impressed by the heavy bass tones on these last numbers which suddenly seem higher in the mix and far from silent and those spiky guitar signatures are all over things giving them an intense feel.
I have to admit this album stewed my brains quite a bit but to be interesting music should definitely be complex, non-formulaic and challenging, which Les idées blanches certainly is.
(7.5/10 Pete Woods)
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