EP REVIEW: Monarque – Jusqu’à La Mort

Here I review the new EP from Canadian Black Metal titans MONARQUE! Out via Sepulchral Productions on June 24th. Time to get stuck into the world of huge Black Metal atmospherics…

1. Jusqu’à la Mort opens with short spoken word samples before dropping right into reverb drenched, atmospheric riffing and blastbeats. A monolithic wall of pristine Black Metal soon hits with bitter guitar, warm bass, fierce drums and piercing screams that altogether grinds along with a rather tranquil yet powerfully performed energy, packing a forceful punch. Cascades of beautifully orchestrated and classically memorable Black Metal make for a richly enjoyable opening track with plenty of atmosphere and aggressive grooves alike. There is a definite simplicity which allows the lead riff to be really hypnotising along with the menacing rhythms. Powerful, haunting and cold, this gorgeous opening song will certainly make a first impression that chills you to the bone. Excellent.
2. Le Serment Prononcé falls into place with more melancholic guitars over rhythmically played drum attacks that work together in a beautifully ambient fashion that has a glacial cold to it, perfect to build in momentum with sombre acoustic guitars using folky melodies to add a liveliness to the song as it builds into a dance macabre of Black Metal atmospherics. Mesmerisingly bleak yet with some nice punchy drums that give the mournful guitars some kicking aggression. Within this song there is some unexpectedly anthemic qualities that really allowed the mystical energies to grow through the music. A fantastic piece with some incredibly impressive songwriting and musicianship.
3. Le Grand Deuil opens with eerie strings that have an unhinging discordance subtly breaking through them, adding a menacing quality under the gorgeously depressive work. Monstrously dense barrages of icy guitars soon send forth their cavernous blend of riff-craft with thundering bass rumbling through and crashing cymbals keeping the attack forceful. The piece is immediately chilling with so much emotion and ambience to build layers and layers of fantastic songwriting, the possibilities are endless and unpredictable but the band make sure to take us down the most awesome path possible. Broken apart with a very short string interval before screaming, hellish vocals and piercing instrumentals hurl us back into the monolith of atmospheric Black Metal with all they have, this volatile yet utterly mesmerising piece is utterly gorgeous yet so forcefully powerful that it demands both attention and respect. A brilliant and grandiose finale to this atmospheric trilogy, I look forward to the full length that shall follow.

Characteristically cold with walls of monstrously bleak guitar riffs, pummelling blastbeats and haunting vocals, there is a punishing tranquility that is impressively beautiful, hypnotic even yet dark and brooding with contemptuous energies that are unsettling in many ways. The unique blend emotionally and sonically with some damn impressive atmospheres conjured up makes for a short but richly intense and complete listen. A definitively worthy release for fans of truly remarkable atmospheric Black Metal. -8.5/10