Artist: Noirceur
Country: France
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital demo
Year: 2023
Anyone with any interest in the underground Black Metal of the 1990’s must undoubtedly have stumbled across one of the bands from the illustrious Les Legions Noires at least once. This collective comprised of a limited number of French bands (including bands like Torgeist, Vlad Tepes, Mütiilation and Belketre) may have been short-lived, but their influence on the genre has been immense. It inspired countless French bands and many beyond: much of what we consider Finnish Black Metal today is indebted to that infamous French scene.
This new band, Noirceur shrouds itself in mists, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is also French, but even if they’re from the Philippines or Peru, this five-song, almost 22-minute-long set is a complete worship of that old Les Legions Noires sound. The razor-sharp riffs, the thoroughly and deep-rooted melancholy and somewhat mechanical-sounding drums combined with that ultimate shrill, unpolished and impenetrable wall of sound make this a true feast of recognition. Without sounding like an exact copy, Noirceur manages to capture the true magic of the sound of yesteryear very well, but incidentally does so in a production that has been lifted somewhat to today’s standards. But the latter should not deter a listener from being won over by the sheer class of Noirceur. ‘In The Cold Winter’ is so very well-crafted, not only musically, but also in terms of experience, with the two best tracks being its opening and closing tracks. After the last song, ‘From A Forgotten Past Time’, ends, the last notes and especially the ambience of the song’s deeply-rooted melancholy resonate for minutes after. Utterly compelling.
When it comes to Raw Black Metal, this is one the most authentic and conclusive demos I have heard in a long time. It is a real shame that this demo is still only available as a digital stream, this little masterpiece begs to be released on a proper cassette tape. This sound is delivered in such an excellent and persuasive manner, I dare say that Noirceur is a truly unique entity in today’s Black Metal climate.
