Review: Seth embodies the spirit of the revolution at La France des Maudits

From the beginning, there has always been an element of rebellion to black metal. Like most subgenres, it began as a way to buck the trends of the time in favor of something much more raw and interesting. But even though this once-special corner of extreme metal has grown massively in both scope and popularity, taking on a life and a wider spectrum of its own, at its core it’s still an ironic defiance. The citadel remains where social norms are condemned. On and spit. History and ancient traditions are often admired and placed on a proverbial pedestal, and there is a distinct yearning for a return to the “old ways.”

France of the Cursed, the newest album from French black metal stalwarts Seth, approaches the concept from a slightly different perspective, eschewing the tired tropes of black magic or mockery of Christianity and instead something a little more fresh but equal. Honoring the Blood-Drenched and Brutal: The French Revolution. It’s fitting, if you think about it, given that the band is based out of the city of Bordeaux, a place that saw particularly brutal bloodshed during the Reign of Terror in the late 1700s. A historian I am not, but you just need to know that it was bad. Like, head left and right rolling bad.

As I said, it may be in a marginally more modern setting than we’re used to hearing from this genre, but the spirit is still very much there. There’s still a lot of blasphemy and self-worship, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that this time there’s a little more historical context behind it. The revolution isn’t necessarily the main focus of the album, but serves as a fitting dramatic backdrop for the rousing declarations of reclaiming one’s personal power. But don’t worry, there’s still naked women drinking blood from pots of gold and all that crazy shit; We’ll get to that, but first let’s talk about the music itself.

It’s always refreshing to hear black metal with crisp, clean, high fidelity production that leaves nothing to the imagination. There’s a lot going on, but with the exception of the bass, every detail is given enough room to breathe and make itself known without drowning out anything else, and I’m sure if the bass were removed If there was this would cause a noticeable downward shift in tone quality. The way the keyboards lend a subtle yet somehow mournful quality to the guitars and St. Vincent’s melodies is deeply satisfying, effectively encompassing the glorious downfall of a once proud nation. It has an air of bittersweetness, images of hard-fought victories and a burning, deep-seated resentment that refuses to die even after the battle is won and the townspeople are laughing in the street through blood, dust and sweat. Stinging their eyes. Again, very relevant given the subject matter.

J France of Maudits As a cocktail, it would be very dark and heavy on the bitters, but with a distinct and powerful minty aftertaste. Imagine a tough boulevard with a mint leaf garnish instead of an orange slice. Actually, sounds pretty good. Overall, the entire album is exceptionally well-balanced and aesthetically pleasing, switching gracefully between menacing or triumphant as needed. Most of the songs are pretty similar and have a tendency to blend into each other, but honestly, it still doesn’t detract from the experience in any significant way. That being said, I found the sixth track “Ivere du Sang de Saints” (or “Drunk on the Blood of the Saints”) to be particularly catchy, especially in the second half, and without losing any of the album’s signature. does so atmosphere, so if I had to pick one song from the group to best represent the entire album, this would be it.

Instead of being completely bombastic and in your face like a lot of traditional black metal, Seth chooses to balance this attack with an almost somber and mournful atmosphere, and this slightly more reserved approach works very much in their favor. . There are also plenty of fast and furious parts, blast beats and all, but they’re kept at bay and used sparingly to build and release the momentum in a way that’s very pleasing. It creates a sense of immersion; Not only do you feel like you’re witnessing these violent and bloody skirmishes on the cobbled streets of 18th century France, but you can also feel the fatigue and wariness of the survivors, the sense of power they wielded. had never really felt that they had.

This particular reimagining seems to heavily imply that these triumphs may be the result of satanic influence and brazen cries for the blood of the clergy, but this is a black metal album, so one can hardly blame them. can Then again, that’s what I was able to gather from a rudimentary Google translation of the lyrics, so I could be completely missing the mark, but either way it’s still a very romantic and thematic rendering of events. If you really want an accurate historical retelling, obviously you’re better off watching a documentary or going to a museum or something. But if you want to have some fun with it, this is the album for you. I can barely speak two words of French, but I didn’t need to understand what they were saying to be told a lively and charming story, and that’s all I can say. Thank you very much, my friend. ok.

France of Maudits Season of Mist drops this Sunday, July 14 via Mist Records. Pre-order your copy here