Artist: Borgne
Title: Entraves De l’Ame
Type: Album
Label: Sepulchral Productions

A few very interesting albums found their way to us this month from this Canadian label. I guess French speaking bands and those from Quebec are the main ones on their roster but Borgne the one man entity formed by Bornyhake hail from Switzerland. It would seem the artist has released four things previous to this, each with a numbered title, there was actually a gap of a decade between I and II but on this he seems to have plumped on giving this album an actual title which translates as ‘Barriers From The Soul’

On pressing play and getting instrumental opener ‘Drown In Nothingness’ I was ready to put the boot right in as it sounded a carbon copy of Xasthur although exceptionally well done. That it should be as the shrewd Bornyhake had only gone and got Malefic on board to (de)compose the piece, damn cold and eerie it is too. There are a few others involved on the album, it would seem he did not write the depressive lyrics himself and there are screams contributed to others and a keyboard part from CZ of Vinterrikett. The textures of ‘Tainted Utopia’ boom in and hit you with a depressive air of futility. The production here matches the mood, it has a bit of a cavernous feel and the symphonic yet grim sound has a lot of depth to it. Melody is swirling away and the atmosphere of loneliness and despair is at the forefront. There is a real classical feel here too. Wind whips away over forlorn keys on ‘Die Trying To Take Off The Rope’ a title that speaks for itself as the musical noose tightens, vocals contorting along with it. The keyboard diabolism at the end of track ‘Dark Mirror’ is really effective and full of necromantic passion. This somewhat deranged melody spills into next track ‘Suffering To Buy Our Poison’ and by now the album is kicking it, just like the legs on a hanged man! Not done yet we get a flailing guitar lead taking by surprise on the rampant and burgeoning ‘The Plague’ and it is obvious the artist has a lot of ideas and is quite capable of keeping songs around the eight minute mark flowing. Finishing off with a passage of moody spatial synth work this is an album that is both involving and intriguing and lovers of darkness should find plenty to enjoy about it.

http://www.myspace.com/borgne