Country; France
Genre: Orchestral operatic neoclassical
Full length: Livre Quart
Format: Vinyl, digipak CD, digital
Label: Independent
Release date: June 21, 2024
How can an album be extreme metal without being extreme metal? You could ask Les Chants Du Hasard, whose latest recording was described by Invisible Oranges as being “a nuanced look into what exactly makes metal… metal.”
According to the zine, "Livre Quart" uses expanded range and organic sounds to produce eerie songs that perfectly encapsulate extreme metal without the use of guitars or distortion. Someone who can transcend everything and create something distinctly unique and unusual emerges in a time when there is so much new music with the same degree of appeal. In other words, this is an open, candid look into the auditory darkness and depth that give extreme metal its propensity to affect the listener.
In terms of dark orchestration and atmospheric effect, this album is closer to neoclassical albums like “Les ténèbres du dehors” and “Winds Devouring Men” by Elend, and the avant garde darkness of Diamanda Galas’ “Plague Mass” than traditional metal, but no less impactful. Hazard, reportedly a fifteen year veteran of French black metal, set out to compose symphonic music based on black metal components, which he refers to as "extreme opera." His 2017 release of "Livre Premier" marked the start of this voyage and established a style that can be used in operas, Broadway shows like "Sweeney Todd," and horror classics like "The Omen" and "Rosemary's Baby."
With this project he wants not only to compose but also fully engross the listener in intense sensations of gloom, rage, and despair, creating a lasting impression while tempting you to indulge in more of his engulfing, passionate, disconsolate mistiness. Hazard aims to create something both possessed and captivating, doomy and cinematic, and beautiful but terrifying. Even though this record is striking, if you listen to it closely enough, it will chill you to the bone.
With Hazard's unsettling vocals and the addition of ethereal tenor and soprano, the neoclassical compositions drift from peaceful to ominous, eventually evolving into something that transcends metal, classical music, opera, and humanity altogether. It is almost like the melodic equivalent of eternal damnation. The closest you will ever get to meeting the Archfiend himself face to face is through the gruesome, spine-tingling persona of "Livre Quart." –Dave Wolff
Lineup:
Hasard: Music, voice, sound engineering
Laura: Soprano
Christian: Ténor
Göran Setitus: Voice on “Les Ombres Vagabondes”
Track list:
1. Chant I - Parmi Les Poussières
2. Chant II - La Chauve-Souris
3. Chant III - Le Bruit Du Monde
4. Chant IV - Sous La Mitre De Fer
5. Chant V - La Nuit Échappée
6. Chant VI - Procession Du Sabbat
7. Chant VII - Les Ombres Vagabondes
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