Sortilège - Larmes de héros (1986)^{Release ID: 4484}

My previous experiences with premier French heavy metal outfit Sortilège have never been very enjoyable to tell you the truth. I spent a fair bit of time with their supposedly classic 1983 self-titled E.P. & their 1984 debut album “Métamorphose” back in the mid-2010’s as a part of my research for the Metal Academy podcast but discovered that I struggled to connect with either. I found the overly theatrical French-language vocal delivery of front man Christian Augustin to be quite a challenge at times (particularly when he bordered on power metal schmaltz) while the song-writing could verge on the cheesy at times too. They certainly weren’t the heaviest or most aggressive of metal bands either so the result of the exercise was that I ended up placing Sortilège in the “none of my business” box alongside bands like Anvil, Helloween & Loudness. Admittedly, the more complex song-structures of “Métamorphose” did show more promise than the blatant NWOBHM worship of the E.P. though so the completist in me could never quite shake the feeling that perhaps Sortilège’s highly regarded 1986 sophomore album “Larmes de héros” would be the one that finally saw my eyes being opened to the wonders that the rest of the global metal scene were already so aware of. So here I am… leaving myself open & vulnerable… the fate of my morning at the mercy of five mysterious yet highly capable French chaps.

You know what though? “Larmes de héros” ain’t half bad if I’m being honest. The added technicalities of “Métamorphose” have been left behind in favour of a stronger focus on song-writing which sees Sortilège reaching a new level of maturity in my opinion. There are still a few obvious filler tracks included but, unlike the band’s previous efforts, the wins easily outweigh the losses & I’ve been left with a positive feeling overall. The weaker moments definitely line up with the more up-tempo & generic NWOBHM inspired material while the best tracks are clearly the ones where Sortilège slow things down a bit to give them more room to move with Augustin’s undeniable vocal talents reaping far more reward with a little space around him. Just check out his stunning harmony work in “Quand un aveugle rêve” for example. Or try to stop yourself from banging your head during the doomy Black Sabbath inspired album highlight that is “Marchand d'hommes”. Not to mention the impeccable talents of lead guitarist Stéphane Dumont who can match it with the best shredders around.

So look, Sortilège is never gonna be one of my favourite bands but closing out my knowledge of their big three releases has proven to be a worthwhile experiment. “Larmes de héros” may not possess a glossy high-budget production job but the song-writing is strong enough to overcome the fact that the rhythm guitars sound thin & are too far back in the mix. Don’t be put off by the lacklustre opener “La hargne des tordus” or the very ordinary “Mourir pour une princesse” or “La huitième couleur de l'arc-en-ciel”. Have some faith & give the record time to dig its claws in. You may just find that it offers some quality heavy metal, particularly if you dig NWOBHM-influenced heavy metal artists like Ostrogoth, Stormwitch or fellow Frenchmen Blasphème who all tap into a similar vibe.