Les Chants de Nihil - Le tyran et l'esthète (2021)^{Release ID: 26232}

I have struggled to find the time to fully take in Le tyran l'Esthète in all honesty.  Its blend of black metal and more traditional metal riffs is a wonderfully melodic mix of the best of both worlds, delivering lush and vivid storylines well.  The driving rhythm that propels the Les Chants de Nihil engine forward has a rich bass sound that sits full in the mix and compliments the menagerie of activity that is going on around it.  Whether it is the tumultuous tremolo riffs, the scathing vocals, choral accompaniments or the (slightly muted) bash of the drums, the bass is always there, audible yet not imposing.

This is well written stuff folks, this cannot be denied.  There is a real sense of intrigue to what the band are plotting to deliver next as one track finishes and another begins.  That epic sense of build and tension is never too far away on Le tyran l'Esthète and if you have the time, switch off all the lights and listen to this in the dark and through headphones if you can to truly enjoy the experience.  In a year of great metal releases, I cannot think of anything else that sounds quite like this album.  Likewise, there is nothing that probably touches it in terms of ambition either.

The fact is though, despite its obvious appeal, I do not take a lot away from this album that reminds me of why I need to revisit it again.  At times it is almost too epic and grandiose for its own good.  Whilst it is playing, I am largely transfixed.  There is so much win on this album that it should process a lot easier on the old memory banks than it actually does. I can only put this down to feeling flooded when I listen to the album.  When the waters subside and I look at the wash there is very little left to focus on; as such this is an album that is very much one that is purely in the moment in terms of where the enjoyment begins and ends.  This sounds like a really fucking stupid statement, however most of my favourite albums I can play through in my head or do so on highlights at least, Le tyran et l'Esthète just has no sustainability beyond its actual play time.

I am convinced more plays will probably reward this with a revised rating come 2022.  However, with the year drawing to a close and rotation time tight as the AOTY list takes it final form this album currently sits a lot further down the list than it perhaps deserves too; on paper at least. 

Despite them having been around since 2007, this is the first time Les Chants de Nihil have crossed my path - and damn glad am I that they did so. In common with several other French outfits, it appears that they like to kick back against the confines of black metal and break out of the conventions that others follow doggedly. Le tyran et l'esthète (The Tyrant and the Aesthete) features a quite muscular sound that borrows heavily from death metal and as such is really aggressive sounding, with some powerful riffing. Despite that, it is still fairly melodic, but the band also incorporate dissonant elements which makes for a satisfying and interesting dichotomy.
This is obviously a concept album, the tracks feel like part of a greater whole, as well as being damn fine in their own right. Unfortunately the overarching concept escapes me as I'm not, in common with many native English speakers, very good at other languages. There is a deal of variety in the tracks as the band employ such elements as chanted sections à la Batushka, epic-sounding viking / folk metal parts and even a song based around the melodies from an Igor Stravinsky ballet (L'adoration de la Terre). These elements aren't, however, thrown together like some random hotchpotch just for the sake of it, the individual tracks are well-written and are tastefully woven together in a way that allows the album to flow seemingly effortlessly through it's fifty minutes or so runtime.
It would also be remiss of me if I didn't mention the crystal-clear production that allows each of the individual band members' contributions to be heard even during the most savage passges. So if you want some interesting and thought-provoking that also doesn't skimp on aggression or atmosphere, black metal that tries to do something "more" with the genre then give these Frenchmen a chance.