Review by Sonny for Gris - Il était une forêt... (2007)

For me, depressive black metal is the toughest of the black metal genres to love. There are some truly terrible bands in the DSBM scene, so much so that it seems that every single person with a bedroom recording package who feels down or rejected has put a DSBM album out, irrespective of how much talent they've got. But, just occasionally, you can come across someone who has the songwriting ability and musical talent to successfully convey the desperation and hopelessness of true depression and, as such, is able to make an emotional connection to the listener - Gris are one of those few acts.
Their bleak lo-fi black metal accompanied by Icare's tortured vocals has an additional layer of melancholy provided by the subtle addition of strings, acoustic guitar and piano, the successful deployment of these being well beyond the skill of the average bedroom black metaller and another aspect that sets the duo well ahead of the pack in the DSBM field. Unfortunately, not being able to speak French (much) I had to run the lyrics through Google Translate and despite this, it is evident that Icare's words are heartbreakingly poetic pleadings for the end of his suffering.
This album is so ridiculously far above the rest of the DSBM pack that it transcends into something completely different, a real primal scream from the heart and a desperate plea for solace. The final instrumental track, a solely acoustic affair with only violin, cello, piano and acoustic guitar hints at the ultimate peace that the suffering singer has been searching for, however he may have found it.