AU CHAMP DES MORTS - Dans La Joie
Debemur Morti Productions
So this is the guy from ANOREXIA NERVOSA, Stéphane Bayle, and his latest blackened band? Hmmmm, it doesn't remind me of "Sodomizing the Archedangel" but then again what really does. Since the final (?) utterances from ANOREXIA NERVOSA were saddened, Stéphane Bayle still seems to be in a crying mood.
This full length debut by AU CHAMP DES MORTS (they put out an EP last year) is atmospheric black metal dripping with the usual tears of despair and feelings of isolationism. Ya know what's funny? In the late 90s symphonic black metal was trendy. ANOREXIA NERVOSA was France's version of CRADLE OF FILTH. Now fast forward to present day and what's trendy in black metal? Yes it's atmospheric black metal and AU CHAMP DES MORTS is not far from say ALCEST, well partially. They haven't achieved full shoe-gaze yet.
The opener "Nos Décombres" was some what cheery but the rest is jangly riffs mixed with harsh blackened pain in the ass reality. When he's not screaming Stéphane Bayle is speaking plainly. There are other cuts where he shares vocals with the bassist Cecile G. I'll say it does provide some contrast like on "Le Sang, La Mort, La Chute" which is also one of the better songs on this debut. Musically this is majestic to say the least and yet there's a depressive angle fit for a doom outfit.
Honestly on a whole, Dans La Joie is a spectacular sounding release. But with that said I'm not sold on black metal going contemporary because of all the outside of metal influences. Years ago when all of the shoe-gaze influences came in, at first it was fine but then the bands followed it up by going full on shoe-gaze (hello ALCEST, FEN and ALTAR OF PLAGUES). Then there was the term Post Black Metal, now pardon me but "post" in genre terminology means "moved on". Therefore post black metal is not black metal at all, right? You know when you push something far beyond it's known boundaries people just say "Wake me up when it's over."
Rating: 2/5
http://www.debemur-morti.com/en/
https://www.facebook.com/Au-Champ-Des-Morts-1061663760580553
https://dmp666.bandcamp.com/album/dans-la-joie
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