Neige et Noirceur is the one-man black metal project from Quebec's Spiritus, whose goal seems to be to create icy musical visions of the long Canadian winters. With the latest release Gouffre Onirique et Abīmes Cosmiques, he can safely consider that a job well done. This is chilling, icy, frostbitten material...sorry for the cliched black metal terminology here, but that's exactly the type of feeling you get when listening to this CD. Just imagine yourself, all alone, venturing through the snow covered wilderness of Canada with a swirling, freezing wind beating down on your while listening to the ominous, chilling sounds of the opening title track. Or, better yet, trudging up a snow capped mountain with relentless wind & snow stabbing you in the face, which is exactly what the manic "Future Torture" conveys with its furious tremolo riffs, blast beats, and evil vocal rasps. Music of this kind is supposed to 'take you on a journey to a place you've never been before', and Spiritus has done just that. Much of the rest of the album fluctuates between the maniacal and the atmospheric, always bringing to mind some of the elements of the early '90s Scandinavian scene, the lengthy songs allowing for plenty of tones, textures, and drama. The riffs on "Le Portail de Kadath" are quite impressive, and the three part "Les Cavernes de Glace" suite is as haunting as atmospheric black metal gets. Groundbreaking Gouffre Onirique et Abīmes Cosmiques might not be, but as an intriguing platter of chilling Canadian black metal that fully captures those desolate snow packed landscapes, this one hits the mark.
Track Listing
01-GOUFFRE ONIRIQUE ET ABIMES COSMIQUES
02-FUTURE TORTURE
03-ECHO DES ABYSSES
04-LE PORTAIL DE KADATH
05-LA MARCHE DES ASTRES NOIRS
06-LA CAVERNE DE GLACE I
07-LA CAVERNE DE GLACE II
08-LA CAVERNE DE GLACE III
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