It has been a while since a band made me sit up and pay attention as much as Limbes’ latest release did. There I was expecting a polished, melodic atmospheric black metal album, but instead I had my face ripped off by a vicious, scathing aural onslaught!
‘Ecluse’ is Limbes’ third release (the first two were released under the name Blurr Thrower) and is the strongest to date. It comprises four lengthy tracks, which would be better considered as a single piece of music as they sit together forming one monolithic slab of black metal. The sound is raw and without frills but there is also underpinning melody buried within the dense battery with subtle sweeping soundscapes occasionally working their way to the fore. The vocals are feral, more akin to a wounded animal howling than anything else but this works well, conjuring up an uncomfortable, confrontational atmosphere.
There are definitely elements to justify the atmospheric black metal tag, but there is also a good chunk of depressive black metal here, and although Limbes are from France, there is a lot in common with the Cascadian Black Metal subgenre.
As the tracks build and gather momentum, the atmosphere becomes more and more oppressive and yet there is something hypnotic about the swirling maelstrom forcing you to keep listening as you get pulled deeper and deeper into their dark world.
On repeated listen, the album becomes more of an enigma as it becomes more aggressive each time, and yet the soothing melodies also become more prominent, all set to a back drop of relentless drumming and savage, vitriolic vocals. This is not an easy listen, nor is it intended to be, and it won’t be for everyone. However, this album becomes more rewarding with each listen and is definitely worthy of exploration and the investment of time to uncover its hidden depths.
(8/10 Andy Pountney)
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