April 2021 Feature Release – The North Edition
So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.
This month’s feature release for The North has been nominated by Vinny. It's 2013's "Henbane" album from Polish black metal outfit Cultes des Ghoules.
https://metal.academy/releases/12332
I've just posted a review, but to summarise: this is an absolutely original and demented black metal release that genuinely feels like the band have poured something of their own souls into it. With a guitar tone borrowed from early 90's death metal and one of the most insane-sounding vocalists out there, this is a real diamond standout and a dagger to the heart of cut-and-paste black metal acts. The sheer variation of pacing and atmosphere on each of the five tracks is impressive and the ritualistic drum rhythms add another layer of unease to the whole occult-ridden shebang.
With this from Vinny and Ben's cracker from last month I'm now getting worried about letting the side down with my pick when it comes up for June - the pressure's building!
I've just posted a review, but to summarise: this is an absolutely original and demented black metal release that genuinely feels like the band have poured something of their own souls into it. With a guitar tone borrowed from early 90's death metal and one of the most insane-sounding vocalists out there, this is a real diamond standout and a dagger to the heart of cut-and-paste black metal acts. The sheer variation of pacing and atmosphere on each of the five tracks is impressive and the ritualistic drum rhythms add another layer of unease to the whole occult-ridden shebang.
With this from Vinny and Ben's cracker from last month I'm now getting worried about letting the side down with my pick when it comes up for June - the pressure's building!
Yes, was waiting to read your thoughts on this as thought it would be right up your street. I am going to get some words together this coming week on this release as I haven't played it for a while and it used to be a staple spinner in the mid-noughties for me.
I gave "Henbane" a few spins over the last couple of mornings & quite enjoyed it. It's certainly got that authentic 80's vibe about it as well as an occult atmosphere that's similar to the old Hammer Films from the 1970's which separates it from most of the modern black metal community. The over the top vocal performance sits somewhere between Attila Csihar (Mayhem) & Kvarforth (Shining) to my ears & there's a strong doom metal element running through most of the tracklisting which I'm not surprised appeals to the likes of Sonny. The dirty bass guitar is both very prominent in the mix & also drives some of this material to an extent.
If I had to describe Cultes des Ghoules sound here I'd go with Necromantia & Mayhem meets Hellhammer & early Samael. It's not a perfect record by any means. Many of the slower sections are obviously rewrites of the bridge section from Mayhem's "Freezing Moon" but that doesn't make them any less effective for me personally. The vocal performance does go a little too far at times too as there are moments where front man Mark of The Devil crosses the border into silliness but I have similar issues with Kvarforth to be honest. Some of the instrumentation is pretty sloppily performed from a timing perspective but that kinda adds to the authenticity to be fair. I'm not sure I agree with the calls about a early 90's death metal guitar tone. I don't think it's thick enough for that & would instead suggest that it's more in line with some of the more underground 80's black metal releases.
Overall I found "Henbane" to be an interesting listen that I couldn't quite connect with strongly enough to command regular return visits in the future. The tracklisting is very consistent as I enjoyed all five tracks but none of them left me feeling like I'd just experienced anything particularly classic even though I very much dug the dark atmosphere.
For fans of Necromantia, Mayhem & early Samael.
3.5/5
Indulged myself in a review of my own choice of featured release. There's no getting away from the fact that I love this record. Accepting that the Mayhem influence is obvious I find it more enjoyable than the legends themselves in all honesty. I like the authenticity of the whole record, and that horror movie aesthetic is superb (those keys on The Devil Intimate). I find it like a really ugly and needy child, it clings to you, snotty nose, food crusted cheeks and shitty arse on display all the time and despite the elements of revulsion I just can't help but pick it up.
4.5/5
I struggled with this one. For one, the sound of this album is super muddy and gross and almost left me reminded of the most recent Paysage D'Hiver album Im Wald. The obvious difference between these two albums is that Cultes des Ghoules are not using lo-fi production to exemplify the coldness that is on display. And I cannot deny that I think it sounds wonderful! The heaviness of the bass to go along with that guitar riffing is really good. The percussion is strong throughout the record and only feels overbearing when it has to be. And while I personally might not be the biggest fan of the shredded vocals, they do have some excellent passages that match the atmosphere that is being presented.
However, like with Paysage D'Hiver, too much of this album feels like it meanders its way to a conclusion. So much so that I can't recall any of the five tracks on this album having a distinct cap. Songs like "The Passion of a Sorceress" and "Vintage Black Magic" could have both been heavily trimmed down and even then, some dynamic growth would have helped (perhaps this wouldn't have made sense contextually, but we'll talk about that in a bit). Only the opener "Idylls of the Chosen Damned" and "Festival of Devotion", the shortest song on the album, made me feel like Cultes des Ghoules were putting their best effort into creating something that was perhaps not melodically innovative, but at the very least something that I would remember beyond basic themes of "ritualistic" or "hellish". The closer "The Devil Intimate" tried to be a little more progressive, which I respect, but the execution was lousy.
And part of the reason is the themes of this album. Many religious cults (or perhaps, occults) are very monochromatic in structure, and so it only makes sense as to why this album feels so formless at times. The reason why so many Gregorian chants were modulated with the rise of polyphony was so that they could be sung in church and people would know how to sing it. I'm not calling this a bad thing for Cultes des Ghoules since it fits with themes, but it doesn't stick in my mind very much as mentioned previously. I only remember atmosphere rather than hooks/grooves/melodies/etc.
This record fall into the category of mood album for me. In the right circumstances, Henbane by Cultes des Ghoules can be a splendid album. Beyond that, I wouldn't be able to tell you much else about it! Perhaps this style of black metal is outside of my jurisdiction, but if you're looking for a classic meets modern approach to occult-ish black metal, it will serve its purpose.
6/10
I struggled with this one too, enough that I really don't think I'm going to give it any more chances even though I'm not going to give it a low score. The atmosphere and riffs are disgustingly good, but man, those vocals combined with the extended song structures just didn't do it for me. I have issues with the more "possessed" style of Black Metal vocals and this one really, really highlighted that for me. I love the dark, ritualistic atmosphere, but having it forcibly thrust down my throat for an hour straight by the vocalist just gets straight up annoying to me, especially in "Vintage Black Magic" and "The Devil Intimate".
Tried my best to get past my bias on this one, since the rest of the album is admittedly amazing, but this one isn't for me. I'll have to come back to this in a month or so to see if it still rubs me the wrong way.
3.5/5