Herzel - Le dernier rempart (2021)Release ID: 26696
The First Victory
As a pretty massive Power Metal fan I've found myself dipping into the realms of Heavy Metal more and more to satisfy my desire for upbeat and memorable riffing and songwriting. Although I've always said I prefer the more frantic and grand sounding shades of Power Metal like Blind Guardian or Gloryhammer, I'm starting to realize I have a soft spot for some of the more controlled and down-to-earth styles of Power and Heavy Metal thanks to albums like Eternal Champions' Ravening Iron from 2020. That soft spot continues to grow as I stumbled upon this short, rather unassuming French Heavy Metal album that's been consistently entertaining me for the past month. Le dernier rempart is packed with heavy and energetic riffs, addicting melodies, and a classic Heavy Metal feel that somehow feels wholly unique in 2021 despite its vintage influences.
Herzel is able to break some new ground in a somewhat worn down genre thanks to loose but well written tracks that aren't constrained to fit around a singular main riff, even though each song definitely has one. Thanks to the extended track lengths they're able to really build upon each initial theme in so many interesting ways through clever transitions and smooth melody progressions, leaving this 36 minute album feeling much, much longer than it actually is. The constant changes in tempo and feel really drive the album along, the best examples being the three distinct speeds of "La Flamme" and the abrupt shift after the first chorus in "L'Ultime Combat". There are a ton of interesting, slightly off-beat melodies and transitions that keep Le dernier rempart fresh and unique throughout, as well as having an extremely well done folky interlude with "Le dernier rempart" and corresponding outro section after "L'Ultime Combat" to tie the whole affair together. The way "Berceau de Cendre"'s intro melody fits together with the prior interlude is fantastic as well and shows that Le dernier rempart is an entirely complete album through and through.
Herzel's sound is reminiscent of many other 1980's Heavy Metal bands but thanks to an extremely poignant bass popping out of the mix just when it needs to and satisfyingly punchy percussion writing I couldn't ask for more in a modern Heavy Metal release. Their warmer tone and more melody focused songwriting helps to give off a more fantastical feel, which is what I'm assuming Herzel was going for to begin with. The way they use their bass has been impressing me more and more as I re-listen to the album, since the bass only overtakes the guitar during key parts to create some truly interesting trade-offs between the two instruments whether its during a driving chug riff or a slower, melodic section. Even though Le dernier rempart falls into the generic galloping rhythm trap a few times on "L'Ultime Combat", "Berceau de Cendre", and "Maîtres de l'océan", the quick pacing of the album means there's always an interesting guitar melody on top of it or they smoothly transition away from it within a few measures. The rest of the riffing and solos are top notch and constantly ebb and flow around the main riff which makes the choruses hit even harder.
The more I listen to and think about Herzel's debut the less negatives I have to say about it, which is surprising me a bit. I suppose "L'épée des dieux" is a bit lackluster compared to the rest of the album, but it's far from a bad track with its classic driving chug riff and cool solo towards the end. I guess I could want a bit more out of the vocals, but they serve their purpose and have the necessary edge to them on tracks like "La Flamme". Even though Le dernier rempart lacks the massive punch that more riff-focused Heavy Metal has, its more technical, winding songwriting and great overall atmosphere has become extremely addicting for me. I'm finding myself consistently impressed with more modern Heavy Metal now that I've dug a bit deeper; there are still plenty of bands that are pushing the envelope while still retaining that classic feel that everyone knows and loves, and Herzel's debut shows that they're one to watch out for.
