Circus black metal, is bound to sound like Mr. Bungle. They don't prove me wrong in this theory. The French are always doing weird shit like this . They swing back and forth from operatic singing to growls of anguish. Blast beats are thrown in, but things sway with an angular waltz more often than not. I really liked this band's 2016 album and the sounds have gotten more layered since then. "Poll De Lune" has more dance to it's wacky spasm. There is more of a polka feel to "La'Alpha Mal" The vocals take on more of a crazy bellow like drunken were-apes are howling in a bar. In places where it gets darker it sounds to me like if King Diamond was writing songs for Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum. The vocals are more tormented here , but also explore more colors. The song after this is more of a crazed interlude.
Things add a blasty edge and maintain the crazy for "Les Valseuses". The Ringleader welcomes the ladies and gentlemen before going into more of a death metal growl. This growl doesn't last long . There is a wide variety of squawking afterwards. This might be the most circus like of all the songs. It is at this point in the album that all of these begin to sound like similar shades of the same crazy. It does break down into percussive clutter which is different for the album thus far. The song after is is darker and has more of a drunken ragtime feel. It does accelerate into blast beats by the end. "Comptine a Boire" sounds like some one took a bunch of acid on Bourbon street and had a nervous break down.
"Anis Maudit" is more angular and dissonant, though less spastic. Even when it speeds up into a deprave gypsy Opera it could be a logical progression. Midway into the song it goes into more demonic growling. The bass player can finally be heard in the breakdown and he is fucking good. These guys might not have the shred factor like Sigh who dabbles in similar realms, they are great composers as a lot is going on here. They are less focused on the closing song. Two minutes in I was wondering when this would converge into something that would actually make sense. The guitar ride the line between Klezmer and black metal. The trumpets help break the sonics up. Despite this I will round this album up to a 9 as the concept of what they are doing translates well in the finished product almost more prog weirdness than black metal.
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