A more guitar driven album than their previous ambient works, still just as heavy & still able to send you to his frozen realm. Fans won’t lose the mystery Spiritus had injected into past albums. Reminds me a bit of late 80s Bathory during his shift to Pagan sounds. Another one man project, Neige et Noirceur translates to Snow & Blackness, this is just what he sounds like. Light synthesizers in some songs, but nothing overwhelming. The raw & the melodic getting their own, separate moments. Not enough to irritate a black metal fan who hates synthesizers, but enough so Spiritus could create the perfect mood for you.
This does sound a bit more Scandinavian black metal than French, or Canadian. Or French Canadian. We’re taken back to a simpler time in Scandinavia. Before the church burnings.
The final song is a Berurier Noir cover, an 80s punk band from France. They are on the comical side, but this song is as heavy as the rest of the album. He’s clearly a fan, he’s done them enough justice while making the song his own. Exactly what a cover should be.
This album is out now on Sepulchral Productions.
