Au Champ des Morts – Dans la Joie (Debemur Morti Productions 2017)
The talented musicians of this album manage to blend black metal – not the most casual genre, I agree – with a more old school type of metal: an instant favourite. There was no way for me not to share this excellent first album of Au Champ des Morts. This LP weeps melancholy and the “Dans la Joie” track very ironically sets the stage. To put it simply, few albums of this genre are as rich and complex as this one. The alternating clear voice and characteristic growls perfectly sum it up. Each track is a true gem, including the last one, “La fin du monde”, a true masterpiece which ends this quality LP on a definite note of poetic sadness. It is of course not for everyone, but I assure you it is worth a try, although, as you might have grasped by now, objectivity is not my strong suit when this LP is concerned.
Motorama – Dialogues (Talitres 2016)
What a joy it is to listen to the latest Motorama LP! There is this unmistakable and very tight Post Punk/Cold wave combination which has been the signature of this Russian band over their 4 last records. You will once again find the same ethereal melancholy in the 10 tracks of this LP, with this perfect balance between suppressed energy and spleen. I also found the production value and arrangements much better than on their previous records, which truly brings their sonic identity to the fore. Personal favourites are the “Sign” and “Hard Times” tracks which open the album. A very successful outing for a band which undeniably deserves attention!