Список групп Atmospheric Black Amesoeurs Ruines Humaines

I stumbled across Amesoeurs while looking for Post-Black Metal on Youtube, the first song I heard from them was Heurt off their début album. I was immediately hooked by the bands fusion of Post-punk, Depressive Rock and Black Metal. After continually listening to the song, I decided to give their other material a listen. Seeing the reviews this E.P. got on the Metal Archives I decided to get my hands on it.

Even though Amesoeurs are labelled as Black Metal they sound so far fetched from other bands for example Burzum, the guitars aren't heavily distorted and have a more melodic, calming sound to them. The production is a lot clearer than most Black Metal acts and the overall sound is more serene and melancholic rather than dissonant and harsh. Of course the Black Metal elements are still there, there's the harsh shrieking vocals, blast beats and the cold atmosphere. Though it will definitely put off the "Purists" it is still a fantastic album if you have an open mind and are looking for some inventive Black Metal.
I normally try to avoid track by track reviews but seen as though there is only three tracks I see no other choice so here it goes.

The first track is Bonheur Amput which starts with a cool Punk styled riff and then kicks in with dark and chaotic riffs and Neige's shrieking vocals. It goes like this for a while then the acoustic guitars kick in slowing the song for a bit until the electric guitars come in and kick start the whole song again. This is the most progressive song on the album and has a definite Post-Punk vibe about it, in my opinion this is the best song on the album and if you're interested in this band you should listen to this song first.

The second track has more of a Black Metal feel rather than having a balance between Post-Punk and Black Metal. The song is harsher than the previous songs and Neige's vocals more aggressive. It starts off with an eerie acoustic riff and then follows up with an electric guitar riff, then the vocals come in and the song explodes into a Black Metal frenzy with chainsaw dissonant riffs and blast beats before closing with some weird ambient noises. This is the heaviest most Black Metal sounding track on the album. The Post-Punk parts are still there but they aren't as in your face and noticeable as Bonheur Amput.

The third and final track is Faiblesse Des Sens, this song goes in a completely opposite direction than the previous tracks, the Black Metal elements are gone and all is left is some soft guitar playing with angelic female vocals. The guitar riffs on this track are memorable and well written and the vocals soothing and beautiful. This is the most melodic track on the album and also the most experimental as it does away with the Black Metal elements.

This is a fantastic example of creative forward thinking Black Metal and proof that the genre isn't confined to incomprehensible, dissonant riffs, and poor production. This album is surprisingly good and one that you should own if you're a fan of Alcest or if you're just looking for some forward thinking Black Metal that differs from the name. Either way get this you won't regret it.
Favourite Track: Bonheur Amput

With the recent popularity boom of Alcest and the growing interest in the Post Black Metal scene as a whole it shouldn't come as a surprise to find out Neige also fronts another band in the genre. That band is this band, Amesoeurs. Amesoeurs takes a much more aggressive take on Blackgaze with some vicious moments of furious Depressive Black Metal and a definite Post Punk feel. Unlike Alcest whose Shoegazing elements often over powered the Black Metal, Amesoeurs have created the genre as it should be, Black Metal with outside elements rather than the other way round. If you're one of those people who dismiss Neige's fairytale take on the genre then Amesoeurs is a band well worth checking out.

The overall sound for Ruines Humaines is one of dark melancholy. The music is both aggressive and harsh and at the same time there are moments of subtle melancholy as well. The first track Bonheur Amputé is for me the track that defines Ruines Humaines the most. It has the juxtaposition between both harsh and soft sections and the overall tone is aggressive but at the same time it feels desperate and sombre. The acoustic break is a nice addition adding a lot to the song and making it the most progressive out of the three tracks. Neige's shrieks are absolutely breathtaking as well, being very high pitched and full of raw primal aggression. His voice is unique and I haven't heard any other vocalist that utilises this particular form of screaming even in the Depressive Black Metal world. Being a big fan of Neige as a vocalist I was disappointed in the lack of his clean vocals at first but this album really doesn't need them, we have Audrey Sylvain to fill the void and her voice is a perfect fit. I haven't heard a voice as delicate and fragile as hers in the Metal world, it's really quite adorable (losing Metal credibility by writing this).

The title track Ruines Humaines is another good song, the song is more aggressive than Bonheur Amputé but it still has the Post Punk vibe going on within it which is good. Although unlike Bonheur Amputé the Post Punk isn't as prevalent allowing the Black Metal to be the focus of the music. Neige's vocals are very powerful in this song as well adding a lot to the atmosphere. I'd also like to mention that really interesting lead guitar section near the end of the song, it's got a good sound to it and although unusual it's a great fit and works well in conjunction with the rest of the track. The outro annoys me however, being pointless ambient noise that goes no where and the only thing that it accomplishes is irritating me. Probably not what they had in mind when they recorded it, it's a shame that this track was let down by the infuriating ambient outro.

Faiblesse des Sens ironically was the first song I heard from Ruines Humaines. This track takes a 180 degrees turn from the previous two dropping all Metal elements altogether. What we're left is is a calm ballad with Audrey's angelic voice floating over it gracefully. The riffs are very good in this track with the riff starting at around the 1 minute 40 second mark being very catchy and melodic but at the same time expressing a feel of sombre melancholy. This is a great closer to Ruines Humaines and shows a more gentle and experimental side to this band, it's a perfect fit for this album.

What I like most about this album is how each track is different in it's own right, Bonheur Amputé is a Post Punk/Black Metal hybrid, Ruines Humaines is more of a straight up Black Metal track and Faiblesse des Sens is a straight up Post Punk song. I really like the variety on display on Ruines Humaines and it's a real shame a lot of the Black Metal elements were dropped on their full length.
Overall Rating- 17/20