A debut album from this revolting, regal French musician going by the name of Baurus. His debut EP ‘Vile’ of a couple of years ago may have passed you by but if not, you would no doubt have been struck by the eccentricity of song title ‘Gwyneth Paltrow Is a Lich.’ Whether her ‘corpse’ smells worse than her vagina scented candles is something I never expected to query but that’s the joy of music and the questions it brings to mind. With black thrash at heart along with some more atmospheric moments, this full length could go either way beneath its eye-catching charcoal artwork but it appears to incorporate both factions making it an intriguing and far one-dimensional listening experience.
There is still an essence of fantasy beneath these ‘Chronicles of the Debased Kingdom’ the titles all being in French this time. One gets the idea there is a story of a usurping ‘Worm King’ who crops up on the EP too, who has led by the sword and conquered this domain. It makes a change from cribbing everything directly from Tolkein and the tale starts up with enchantment at its heart with a sorceress (Andreea Dinag) who helped in the quest speaking poetically before an acoustic guitar proffers a Primordial type melody. Gently taken in, things then fly off the handle quickly with fast strumming guitar savagery cleaving away. This is bolstered further as we tumble into ‘Mangez vos morts’ and apparently smelling the corpses is not enough, here we are eating them; yum. Not surprising that bitter and distasteful disgust is portrayed by the snarling vocals, bite and bark working well amidst the whiplashing guitar work. All that’s missing are death belches. It’s far from all being savagery though and the sun beams momentarily through the sky in the form of some gorgeous acoustic guitar work on ‘Celui qui vouvoie le soleil’ before it all goes dark again. Some good hooks here, piercing the skin like stabbing swords and the thrash has a feudal intensity taking the listener back to medieval blood-drenched times.
Nature is present and thunder rumbles over a Burzumesque strum as ‘Atroce’ is introduced. What sounds like a hectic battle now takes place in this atrocious tableau. Huge rasps from our slithery scoundrel and despite the rough and tumble frenzy the melody is strong in bravado and glory. His fortress breached defence is violent and harsh for the invading forces, the pillaging is mighty and no doubt feasting on the carrion bones is a grisly rite of cannibalistic excess. Thrash may well be considered one of the most baseless of sub-genres but it certainly paints an ugly picture in the head here. However, the acoustic touch of the title-track is far from fetid and a welcome breath of fresh air showing vistas of castles in a similar fashion to Obsequiae. There’s a real beauty and beast side to this album and the two facets are well handled, tranquillity breaking into the frenzy of songs such as ‘Vêpre’ I before being swiped aside by another salvo of all out brutality.
There’s an extra track on the CD ‘Cheating The Hangman’ versed in English and sounding like a classic cover from someone like Venom or Possessed. Credits suggest otherwise though and if it is I have been cheated myself and probably deserve the noose for not recognising it. As for Archvile King, be prepared for more as debut EP Vile looks set to be released again as a split with Simulacre in a month or so; that’s if Ms Paltrow doesn’t get wind of its scent!
(7.5/10 Pete Woods)
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