This nicely packaged album comes from Parisian band Moonreich, who have been plying their trade since 2008 and have released five albums including this one. The sleeve-work is probably the only nice element of it, as this is a black metal band. The album’s title means “Bitter”.
Dark classicism is shattered by pungent instrumentals and a long roar. This is black metal of the kind that drags you along screaming. Slow and dark, it’s loud and uncompromising. The riff is self-evidently heavy. Sparks fly. “Of Swine and Ecstasy” oozes power and destruction. Hang on … at mid-point it breaks off for momentary respite but back come the drum, the bass, the roaring vocals and the merciless artillery. From somewhere comes an imperious before it changes again. There’s a bit too much chopping and changing for my liking as I was rather enjoying the deep pungency. “Of Swine and Ecstasy” is like a taster. Am I allowed to say it tastes bitter? Well the title track comes next and starts in a blaze of firepower. The violent delivery is on the scale of Impaled Nazarene or Marduk. Now they’re furious. Anger, violence and turbulence are the ingredients of this enticing dish of black metal. The axemen saw through our body. There is a break but no shenanigans this time, as the vocalist’s roar precedes more deep and throaty guitar menace. My word, this is dirty.
Well for one moment, it tones down and there is the sound of tragedy, which acts as the prelude to an epic finish.
“Where We Sink” is like a musical journey, where we are taken through storms and passages indicating disaster. “Where we love is where we sink, where we drown is where we bleed” is the cheery message. But there’s no time to reflect as the pitch-black pendulum of “Astral Jaws” strikes up. It’s further dark fare and conveys the atmosphere of tragedy and suffering, but it also manages to be lofty. Moonreich are adept at changing tack and allowing breathing space but the intermediate sections are more than fillers, and in this instance it facilitates an epic climax. Moonreich are not frightened to experiment. On “The Cave of Superstition” a tribal drum and mystical chant strike up. Normal levels of ferocity and deep guitar work prevail. At one point the guitar takes a solitary course while the roaring storm goes on around it. There is a series of moods and passages, as Moonreich mix atmosphere and fury. Without losing intensity “The Cave of Superstition” is mainly about atmospheres. Previously heard passages return. Around 10 minutes into this 13 minute piece, a new passage starts, suggesting we are heading towards the climax of this drama. The mood indeed changes and the album ends with instrumental pomp to suggest that something momentous has happened. Reading the lyrics, I couldn’t work out what that was, but momentous is a good way of describing this fine black metal album.
As they say on one of those musical talent programmes, they nailed it. Moonreich nail it to a cross, bringing fire, anger, vivid atmospheres and all good things. The musicianship is tight. The structures are ambitious, and that’s where they lost me a little. But this is a powerful album. Through the medium of “Amer”, Moonreich make us sit up and listen.
(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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