Although only visiting the area briefly long ago, I was aware of the significance of wind as far as the South Of France is concerned and sure enough a bit of research buffeted me in the direction of Le Mistral. This is the term given to the powerful gusts so prevalent in the region that it has bent parts of the landscape out of shape and when it hits, causes people to take shelter and stay indoors for days at a time. Weather report over and onto Aorlhac a band formed in 2007 and one who are no doubt no strangers to such phenomenon. At the start of their career they embarked on what would become known as ‘The Winds Trilogy’ and it is the reissues of these albums that we turn our attention to today. I was certainly blown away (no pun intended) by these three albums turning up in physical format and lovingly housed in A5 DVD style presentation packaging. Inside I looked through the lushly illustrated booklets with provided French lyrics, which make it clear for those not in the know that Aorlhac reside in the past and that the music contained is likely to fling the listener back to the Middle Ages and medieval times. I already knew this being no stranger to their works and more than a little enthusiastic about it but the first two of these chapters were totally new to me and I was very keen to get stuck in.

Founding members Spellbound (An Norvys, Jours Pâles and ex Asphodèle) and NKS (An Norvys, Astaroth) are still very much part of Aorlhac (who take their name from their hometown Aurillac) today. This recording sees them joined by bassist Ashcariot. After demoing material on a limited 150 edition cassette our journey starts with what was originally another limited edition EP À la croisée des vents’ [8.5] released originally in 2008 via Eisiger Mond Productions. It is easy to gain insight to ‘At The Crossroads Of The Wind’ by the track titles whether you speak the language or not. The likes of ‘La guillotine est fort expéditive’ & ‘1693-1694: Famine et anthropophagie’ set both the era and the strife and hardships that went with it in easily interpretable terms. After short acoustic traditional intro, the former of these bustles in and brutishly decapitates with wrathful screams and burgeoning windswept melody! Spellbound has a formidable vocal thrust and it’s ever expressive in its bloodthirsty delivery as the music trembles around it. There’s nothing in the way of depressiveness of anything about this, it’s a swaggering and jubilant, furrowing expression of might and Aorlhac are adept at keeping their audience pumped up and invigorated with it. The strength of the remastered material adds to this and even though predicting death ‘La mort prédite’ is full of power and nothing short of life-affirming’ as it careens forth before breaking into a short section that wouldn’t be out of place in the court of King Louis XIV. The players then surprise a bit throwing out some pure proto-metal lines on ‘Le Charroi de Nîmes’ Those interested in the history can refer to poem ‘chanson de geste’ from the cycle of William of Orange. Those not can air-guitar along and revel in an almighty death belch, low growls and even some clean harmonic and rafter raising croons. Even the prospect of starvation doesn’t put the band off their stride and the jolly backing chants and metal guitar histrionics are excellent. The original EP concludes with the self-titled ‘Aorlhac’ and what an impassioned finale it is making you want to visit and immerse yourself in the history of the place. The tourist board of Aurillic should have given the members the keys to the place after this rabble-rousing tour-de-strength.

Three extra tracks have been added to this edition. They originally appeared on compilation ‘Opus 1’ and split album ‘La maisniee du Maufe – A Tribute to the Dark Ages’ which gives completists access to everything the band have done if following them up to date. Thunder rattles and reverberates over the elemental ‘Mémoires d’Alleuze,’ the guitars pouring out a deluge of riffs. Instrumental ‘L’oeil du choucas’ is a gorgeously evocative and nostalgic acoustic trip back in time, complete with violin and as for the scavengers and whore of ‘Les charognards et la catin,’ well the thrashing tumult and bellicose roars sound as though the band have all caught a good dose of the pox! Perhaps it’s time to swiftly move on….

https://ladlo.bandcamp.com/album/a-la-crois-e-des-vents-reissue

Line-up intact, debut album ‘La cité des vents’ [8.5] swiftly followed in 2010, originally via Those Opposed Records. The city in question certainly isn’t Chicago but as suggested via track titles, Saint Flour, another place the band are listed as having ties to. Briefly revisiting the crossroads instrumentally, they then gallop into ‘Le bûcher des Cathares’ Spellbound unleashing a mischievous demented cackle for good measure. Sounding quite deranged the front-man seems prone to rasp and even cough his lungs up theatrically through the album’s performance. There are interludes of acoustic fretwork but the fervour is never far away and this track has some particularly notable stop/start dynamics peppering this rite of Gallic glory. The strum of Plérion is very much like being caught in the Pulsar Wind Nebula of its namesake and goes like the veritable clappers. A short and destructive path is cleaved and leaves one utterly breathless. A bouncy rhythm jumps all over ‘Le miroir des péchés’ shattering the glass as it is stomped on. For some reason during the tumult a wolf howls, perhaps it is on the loose in the countryside straight from La Bête. Well the vocals are certainly lycanthropic.

Violin and a breeze meet us on ‘Sant Flor, la cité des vents,’ leading us on a rambunctious, frenzied jig. It tears through the ancient city and batters away at ‘La cathédrale gothique,’ the imposing edifice something I have been directed to as I research. Before I’m distracted further we get a marching motif and absurd frenzy of heavyset riffing, chants and screaming rasps on ‘Vers les honneurs.’ Death grunts, mania and furious pace, I can only imagine what reaction a song like this gets live. The medieval assault is all the more delirious due to the violin accompaniment steaming away throughout. With wind we also apparently get fire as ‘La comptine du drac’ sees an attack from a dragon bellowing with gruff low vocals as it sweeps down on the parapets. Guitars fire arrows and the imagination runs wild. Even if interpretation here is completely wrong it makes for a good story in my head. A dark ode to end with sees the apocryphal ‘Les enfants des limbes’ necessitating a lyrical translation. Perhaps I shouldn’t have as these are children “Vomiting a dark pestilence, Empty eye sockets and fragmented skin, Carrying heavy stones on their shoulders, All chained, their pitiful cries Mixed with the gusts of the wind.” Heavy stuff and the song is tarred slightly with a depressive air and sorrow on an otherwise glorious album. I should note that originally a cover of Taake track ‘Over Bjoergvin graater himmerik IV’ is listed on the album and indeed the booklet here but for some reason is omitted. Personally it is not missed, who needs a Norse invasion when the French have done such a fantastic job themselves?

https://ladlo.bandcamp.com/album/la-cit-des-vents-reissue

Following this Aorlhac took a bit of a windbreak (possibly on one of those lovely beaches in the South of France). It wasn’t until 2018 that L’esprit des vents [9] emerged. By this time bassist Ashcariot was gone with NKS adding this task to his duties. However, an expansion to a quartet was made with Lonn and Andros in on guitar and drums respectively. With bolstered ranks and recording techniques the ‘Spirit Of The Winds’ saw an even mightier sound and maturity than before. The striking blue cover-art suggested cataclysm over mountains and forests with a black sun and gathering clouds about to deliver catastrophic force. The booklet of the new reissue dispenses with this however in keeping with the medieval aspects of the other new editions. I reviewed this at the time HERE and so am not going to repeat myself and go over it all again. I did liken it to the bands within the QCBM scene along with some Iron Maiden guitar histrionics and a bit of the sound of the aforementioned Taake due to Spellbound’s ever expressive cackles and death-belches. Giving this a couple of spins today the potent power and fevered mania remains undisputed and playing the three albums back-to-back is an experience well worth partaking in. These re-issues have been an absolute delight to devour and I can’t recommend them enough to listeners old or new.

As for the band themselves they moved elementally from wind to fire and volcanos on the equally excellent Pierres brûlées album of 2021. Recently it appears that they have been focussing playing live with new guitarist and drummers in the fold. Hopefully considering it has been a few years since the last album, we may get some new material at some point soon. For now, though, don’t miss out on these.

https://aorlhac.bandcamp.com/album/lesprit-des-vents-2

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