Review by Xephyr for Archvile King - Aux Heures Désespérées (2026)

A Hero Forgotten

I probably shouldn't have been as surprised as I was when I realized the French Black Metal scene is quite strong after looking through my catalog. One-man Black Metal projects are always an exciting (or...interesting) prospect and Archvile King is no different, but standing among the giants of Blut Aus Nord, Deathspell Omega, and Alcest is somewhat difficult. There are already plenty of quality supporting acts trying to make their way out of the shadows such as Aorlhac, Les Chants de Nihil, and Véhémence who follow a seemingly unspoken French template of a more grandiose atmosphere without sacrificing that distinct Black Metal energy. Archvile King's Aux Heures Désespérées slots in nicely to this scene as a more classic, but still complex, sounding Black Metal project with strong Dungeon Synth elements that transport the listener straight into the throes of the medieval cover art.

Medieval themes swirl around this release, but they are distinctly darker and more solemn than their contemporaries Véhémence, who lean on the folky and classical acoustic side. There's a noticeable attention to atmosphere on Aux Heures Désespérées where the synth intros and breaks have more unique characters to them than your average Black Metal album. Archvile King is really able to sell the gloomy, medieval fantasy world that the cover depicts in a way that still fits with the aggressive Black Metal, especially at the beginning of "L'Excuse" when more and more layers are added on top of the simple synth melodies. Even though the album starts with a ripping opener filled with blast beats and densely layered riffing, it quickly slows down a bit and continues on within more Melodic Black Metal territory. Thankfully, it never loses the energy or edge it established in the opener since the constant interplay between the lead melodies or tremolo and the backing chord progression riffing allows for a ton of complexity for careful listeners. The layered melodies allow Aux Heures Désespérées to bounce around to different ideas without losing the cohesive theme of the album, whether it's the triumphant ending chug riff of "À Ces Batailles Abandonnées" or the dense chaos of "Le Carneval Du Roi Des Vers". The entirely French vocal performance is much more biting than Véhémence's, preferring fried screams and darker growls as opposed to cleaner choral elements. I've found Archvile King's delivery to be a bit more satisfying as it fits nicely into the mix against the more aggressive riffing without being overpowering. The inflections and pronunciation are also more varied and expressive than you may expect, which leads to a pretty gripping performance that rounds out the whole package.

Aux Heures Désespérées is a fantastic album from a solo effort that continues to showcase that Black Metal is one of the most flexible and exciting genres in the modern Metal landscape. After having to slog through tons of albums that use the same old nature sound interludes, Archvile King seems to understand how to set up a compelling album atmosphere and keep it interesting through the entire runtime, even down to the fully Dungeon Synth closing track. Given how the album progresses it's a great and brooding way to end a gloomy, medieval fantasy as the depicted hero is lost and overgrown.