Artist: Neige et Noirceur
Title: La Seignerie des Loups
Type: Album
Label: Sepulchral Productions

I first got hooked onto French-Canadian Black Metal a few years ago when I heard the crushing album “Hantises” by Frozen Shadows. Neige et Noirceur is another Black Metal project from the Montreal area, linked with Frozen Shadows by virtue of geography, ethnic origin, style of music and Sepulchral Productions, the epicentre of Quebecois Black Metal. Neige et Noirceur is in fact a one-man project. Its architect Spiritus, once a guitarist of the Progressive Black Metal band Mor Phose, quotes his inspiration as Quebec’s wide winter landscape, and accordingly tells us that his “music wants to be a dark musical interpretation of long winter evenings”, adding that “the gloomy and distressing mood masks a cold stormy black metal”.

“La Seignerie des Loups” (The Majesty of Wolves) consists of five distinct pieces over 47 minutes, one of which, “1839”, lasts only a minute and a half. So there’s plenty of opportunity to develop atmospheres and imagery, and Spiritus most certainly does. I’d say that the opening track “Croix de Feu – Croix de Fer” (Cross of Fire – Cross of Iron) conveys the imagery of Hard Labour rather than winter. It’s deep, ponderous and heavy, then mid-way through its 13 minute course, there’s a break for what sounds like an argument. This signals a further deep and dark second half with the inspiration of Star Wars, Moonsorrow and early Dimmu Borgir thrown in. It ends unexpectedly with the airy sound of the flute. This is an album of the unexpected. It’s Black but in parts nowhere near straight Black Metal. Witness the second track “Ancien Folklore Québécois” which mixes a breezy folk polka with Black Metal, supplemented by an acoustic side. It’s very effective and certainly different. By the time we get to the title track “La Seignerie des Loups”, the mood has changed. This can truly be described as wintry. The sound of the wolves can be heard but it’s the Industrial Doom developing into a relentless dead-pan style of Black Metal which dominates the scene. Not content to leave it as a mechanical piece, there’s an eerie air too. Like “Croix de Feu – Croix de Fer”, I was loosely reminded of Dimmu Borgir’s “For All Tid” in its rawness and shadowy structure. So far, so good, but the crowning glory of this album for me was the final 11 minute track “Les Plaines de Krolok” (The Plains of Krolok). I cannot recall hearing a more deranged and wildly atmospheric piece of Black Metal than this. Dark Fortress would have been proud it, and so should Spiritus. Disturbed and isolated screams attempt to penetrate a foreground of distortion and fierce winds. Dark and scary doesn’t start to cover it. There’s an interesting and extremely menacing spoken section in French. The orator speaks to the crowd, who reel in fear. In the background there’s the sludgy sound of battle and horror. The lengthy final section features a dark, quietly throbbing electronic pulse, on a par with those chilling passages on Burzum’s “Filosofem”. Horror is personified but not defined. There’s simply no respite.

If Spiritus set out to make a statement, then he succeeded. This is as interesting a piece of dark music as you will find. Anyone who likes atmospheric Black Metal will appreciate “La Seignerie des Loups”.

http://www.myspace.com/neigeetnoirceur
http://www.sepulchralproductions.com