BACCHUS : "II"

 

In my mind black metal exists outside of the sex , drugs and rock n roll paradigm. I have talked to black metal musicians about doing mushrooms, but even then it never seems like a party genre. I know Abbath went to rehab, and drinking is common place, it doesn't seems like where four guys are getting together and smoking some weed to write tunes like most metal. So far a band to lead with the fact their music is inspired by being in an altered state, it shifts my expectations. I am not expecting Pink Floyd here, but certainly listening to where this changed what they do. They are also a French band so bound to be more artsy anyways. 

The opening track is chanted and drones more like an intro than a song. The first actual song is pretty solid in it's shimmer. Not way out in left field from what black metal normally is. It's melodic in it's own way and not overly reliant on the conventions of the genre to enforce it's throb. The third song ,and they are titled as such, is weirder and I can hear where drugs might have changed the way thing are being done with keyboards given more of a spotlight in place. The first blast beats I paid attention to crop up here. I say it like that as they could have slipped some past me earlier and I might not have noticed. Urfaust is one band I can draw comparisons to. The vocals are in a similar sung chant in place, though these guys are not too high to growl. 

As the album progresses it is clear they like to do things in a deliberate manner and prefer the chanted vocals over just screaming. The arrangements are not elaborate, they ride they mood out. They also have captured a dark enough feel to things to make this work. The fourth song kind of drones on, it also earns comparisons to Urfaust. It is a pleasing sound , but in terms of songwriting, not as expansive. The last song share a similar vibe, as well as vocal interplay. It moves that they more deliberate sway common in shoegazing black metal.  More black metal bands need to do drugs, I will round it down to a 9 as there emerges a uniformity to their sound, but what they have woven here is impressive in terms of caring about songs and establishing a dynamic mood.