There is something about the wine in France that brings out a unique progressive slant to the Black Metal that hails from its soil. Ardraos (Florian Denis) is a part of this legacy, and he is now forging his own path with Sühnopfer. From the opening track of fourth offering Nous sommes d’Hierument (Debemur Morti), a powerful, impactful musical statement, he lashes out with a dynamic blend of melodic atmosphere, expanding the mood beyond the screams of torment hurtling at you. Choirs ring out from the background of the blackened chaos, baroque themes woven in are taken from composers Charpentier and Cherubini. 

The second song, our title-track, blasts forward with kinetic enthusiasm. The tremolo-picked guitars carrying a bell-like ring in a pealing ascending accented pattern and composition closer to more expected Black Metal tropes than the open, with strong dynamics as proceedings slow to a triumphant gallop amongst the furious buzz . 

There are fans of the fast, almost technical Black Metal that underpins this Renaissance fare, and the choral themes rise up over the din again for “Sermon sur le Trepassement”; a more thrashing mood erupting with a blitz of jagged riffing. An intricate puzzle in the nuance, juxtaposed by raw feral snarling as the mood that increases in aggression, the highlight being the melodic piece of guitar-work at the end of the song. It is impressive that Andraos is responsible for all of this, making you wonder if it is harder or easier than working with three or four other musicians, though the drawbacks to being a one man band become more apparent in the singular focus of influence brought to the sound rather than drawing from the collective inspirations of all involved.

The baroque ‘n’ roll continues with “Pays of d’Allen”, and the first minute breaks away from the full-throttle tempos that have propelled the first few songs. “Ceron” carries more of the thrashing blitz , which is a quality setting this project aside from other French black metal bands. The production is bright, though this may grate with the preferences of those who prefer their Black Metal to be sworn to the dark.

“Derniers Sacrements” brings back the choral elements, leading into the song which is another blur of rapid riffs: I appreciate the sentiment of making a conscious choice to bring in these classical elements, as they can not be accused of trying to go down the Dimmu Borgir route.  “Le Bal des Laze ” is a cover of Poinareff‘s late-sixties song. Sung vocals underlying the screamed over-lay, which adds enough of a melodic element to make it one of the album’s best songs. 

It is a remarkable feat that Ardraos delivers all the instrumentation, as well as proving himself in his construction of sound here. If you want a black metal album that takes chances and uses a color palette that draws from brighter shades of sonics kissed by a baroque inspiration then this is certainly worth your time. 

Buy the album here:

https://suhnopfer.bandcamp.com/album/nous-sommes-dhier

7 / 10

WIL CIFER