ALBUM REVIEW: Sent Empèri Gascon – Moisson Livide
Since their 2022 formation, French black metallers MOISSON LIVIDE have only produced a single song, the short but energetic Quo Ruit & Letum, which featured on the Extrême Sud-Ouest split alongside material by ASCETE, HERLEQUIN and MORTERUINE in 2023, but this three-and-a-half minute burst of melodic black metal tinged with heady folk elements instantly crystallised the band’s captivating and grandiose sound perfectly, whetting listeners’ appetites for something more substantial in the future. Striking whilst the iron is hot, the band returns with their first full-length album, Sent Empèri Gascon, a record that covers so much ground musically and pushes this epic sound to even greater extremes than the sole other track that it has immediately cemented the one-man act as one of French black metal’s most promising prospects.
La Sèrp d’Isavit proves to be an epic opening salvo, with the acoustic motif that the song begins on quickly morphing into a slick piece of melodic black metal with a noticeable folk influence and a dancing, playful sound that immediately commands the listener’s attention. Much of this music, especially the lead guitars, feels closer to classic heavy metal, with only the sinister croak of the vocals and the more driving moments linking it to black metal. As an album opener it’s incredibly ambitious, and it draws upon numerous elements, including lithe hurdy gurdy accompaniments and tin whistles, to establish an eclectic sound which makes it instantly memorable.
Sus L’arròda is an angular and biting effort; it adopts a fiercer though nonetheless catchy guitar sound, with the rabid drums and excellent vocals, which embrace the booming, cleaner chants and authoritative barks, edging slightly towards extremity, although it’s still clear that the musical core is rooted in folk and power metal, creating a dark, grandiose sound that’s utterly fantastic. L’òmi Xens Passat, another longer track similar to the first, shifts to a slower tempo, and allows the folkier side of the band’s sound to take centre stage, with the guitars and vocals feeling less animated with the exception of some great, hazy moments that add plenty of drama into the song’s midsection, a choice that ultimately allows the lighter flourishes to carry the music.
Sent Empèri Gascon, another measured song driven by rumbling basslines, bombastic leads and an overblown, enthralling folk sound, proves to be singularly visceral, especially the searing vocal deliveries, but it’s the gargantuan musicality that underpins everything and the adventurousness of the musicianship overall that really cements this song’s place as one of the record’s most inventive offerings, with an excellent, immersive edge that brings together a great brass band feel into the context of metal music. Passejada Dolorosa, a brief instrumental piece centred upon crystalline acoustic guitars and Celtic folk accompaniments, is a great way to give the listener a brief reprieve from the restless tone of the rest of the record, with the similarly short and effective A.C.A.B. (Armanhaqués Comandò Anti-Borgesòts) shifting to a fast and frenetic slab of punk-inflected black metal that is far removed in scope from everything else on the record, being caustic and savage without having to resort to outright cacophony.
Caçaire D’eternitat, perhaps more so than any song on the rest of the album, blends together the blackened and folk parts of the band’s sound impressively, with the overriding epic qualities that have defined this album being counterpointed by a sinister, snarling edge that sounds vicious, with the music even tipping over into slightly experimental territories as it reaches its climax. It’s a magnificent way to bring this album to a close, and stands as perhaps the band’s most ambitious and challenging effort in the process.
This is not a black metal album, at least not in the traditional sense. Nor is it a hugely experimental or even progressive take on the genre, although it’s certainly got a lot of great ideas spread throughout it. Much of what is present on Sent Empèri Gascon sounds like a cross between TÝR at their very best and the lean, focused melodicism of a band like NAGLGFAR. And, perhaps unsurprisingly considering that three of the six musicians who contribute this this record also feature within it, this album’s sound bear a resemblance to the music of BOISSON DIVINE, with its power metal pomp and brilliant folk flourishes. With the band having only been active for a couple of years, their creative peak is sure to be ahead of them, but Sent Empèri Gascon is definitely a great way to get the black metal world to sit up and take notice right out of the gate.
Rating: 9/10
Sent Empèri Gascon is out now via Antiq Records.
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