This is the third full length from this well-known Canadian band. There are the expected doom influences and a lot of traditional metal too. The label and band are fans of Pagan Altar, so expect some influences to shine through along with the godfathers Sabbath.
‘Rouge sang’ has your epic metal fix, triumphant in battle, glory bound music making use of rousing sing along sections with heads banging and fists raising. ‘Rosa Mystica’ is your doom flavouring, there’s a nice quiet section after the two minute mark too, adding atmospherics and for me gives a real immersive quality to get attached too, there’s an augmented note included which perks up your ears for a brief section. After the three-minute mark, you get right into “hole in the sky” Sabbath styles overlaid with soothing guitar leads prior to slowing down again. As a title track, it has everything. ‘Le tombeau de l’aube’ is a speedier affair leaving open strings to capture the unique sustain of the guitars. I like the drum work coupled with the keyboards, this track very much reminds me of the band Stonedagger for this section alone.
Throughout the album, the vocal phrasing and level is very much the same. A little niggle to a new listener perhaps, but seasoned fans will relate to the style anyway as expected. ‘Volcan’ heralds more doom, perhaps it’s just me, but the vocal and style takes me to early UK doom bands such as Mourn, and US bands like Relentless. ‘La sorcière’ starts with a subdued acoustic passage and slowly builds, almost hypnotic desert grooves feature too. The bell tolls, the ambience is very much Pagan Altar for me at least at an outburst of speed and a rare change of vocal range around four minutes in.
Overall, the vintage styles have come across more on this album than their former, it’s been a while but the wait is worth it. The key to this release is the way the atmospherics produced are subtly conveyed to the listener. This is an immersive album for those that choose to accept it.
(7.5/10 Paul Maddison)
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