black metal
Right, time to occupy my writing desk again and what better way to start a day of reviews than with some primitive and bleak black metal. It's now early in the morning but this album by French black metal act Hyrgal already was a conversation topic last night.
It sparked a somewhat heated discussion about music and black metal in particular, something some people simply will never understand. My friend said it was all just horrible noise, and in a way I must agree with him. He just doesn't understand the purifying qualities of extreme metal, something this album surely possesses.
Founded in 2007 by Clement Flandrois (Swart Crown), Hyrgal takes on a raw, primordial and stingy approach to black metal. Opener 'L'Appel' serves as an intro and can be seen as a dark ambient/noise track that slowly lures the listener in. Yet, shortly after, with the furious track 'Mouroir' all hell breaks loose. From then on we're on a fast and intense black metal trip, only here and there interrupted by some more dark ambient passages. 'Till' even adds a decent dose of avant-garde dissonance to the overall sound of this record.
'Aux Diktats de l'Instinct' is perhaps my favorite track on 'Serpentine', but again, that's not an easy decision to make. The majority of this record consists of high speed black metal, complete with the piercing guitars, the nerve shattering blast beats and the haunted screams. Yet, 'Aux Diktats de l'Instinct' also showcases a nice dose of black 'n roll, which gives it that extra edge for me. Of course, for black metal fans around the world, this entire album is a must-listen. It's a bewildering experience, one you won't easy forget.
Serge
It sparked a somewhat heated discussion about music and black metal in particular, something some people simply will never understand. My friend said it was all just horrible noise, and in a way I must agree with him. He just doesn't understand the purifying qualities of extreme metal, something this album surely possesses.
Founded in 2007 by Clement Flandrois (Swart Crown), Hyrgal takes on a raw, primordial and stingy approach to black metal. Opener 'L'Appel' serves as an intro and can be seen as a dark ambient/noise track that slowly lures the listener in. Yet, shortly after, with the furious track 'Mouroir' all hell breaks loose. From then on we're on a fast and intense black metal trip, only here and there interrupted by some more dark ambient passages. 'Till' even adds a decent dose of avant-garde dissonance to the overall sound of this record.
'Aux Diktats de l'Instinct' is perhaps my favorite track on 'Serpentine', but again, that's not an easy decision to make. The majority of this record consists of high speed black metal, complete with the piercing guitars, the nerve shattering blast beats and the haunted screams. Yet, 'Aux Diktats de l'Instinct' also showcases a nice dose of black 'n roll, which gives it that extra edge for me. Of course, for black metal fans around the world, this entire album is a must-listen. It's a bewildering experience, one you won't easy forget.
Serge
