Ok, we have topics on UK Black metal, US Black metal, Canadian Black metal and Swedish Black metal, and most of these scenes are pretty interesting, but in my opinion they are all beaten by the French Black metal scene. (Some Swedish bands can give the Frenchies a good run for their money, though.)
So, French Black metal. A very diverse scene, containing both old, 'true' bands and new, innovative ones. I personally think that if you like Black metal, there is no way there is no single French Black metal band that doesn't appeal to you. Whether you love Deathspell Omega's powerhouse, testosterone-fuelled philosophical (awesome) ramblings, Neige's melancholic work with Mortifera (highly underrated) or you're a Les Légions Noires guy, the Frenchies seem to have something for everyone.
In this topic you can discuss the known, big bands or bring new, interesting acts to light. I'd like to start off by saying that Mortifera's "Vastiia Tenebrd Mortifera" (the album that inspired this thread), is highly recommended to anyone that likes his/her Black metal melancholic and sensitive, yet incredibly raw and distorted. A pearl, in my humble opinion.
Just found out about this band Drastus. S.V.E.S.T ex drummer Sad is in it. Check this EP out.
----
In the name of forests; In the name of stars; In the name of all the seas; In the name of storms... Proud sons of ancient nation; Proud sons of sacred song in the wind; Proud sons behind a mirror of ice who told... Fathers of the icy age!!
One band I think was unmentioned here is the very obscure Diamatregon. Or at least 2009's Crossroad was wicked, I have yet to hear their other stuff.
This song is instrumental, but I think it's great, they have an interesting and variable style, so you should listen to their other songs too.
I was a bit surprised to know that the guy behind it was the dude of Mütiilation (yep, that grim kvlt LLN band...).
The original version of the song, and the whole album itself, is average modern BM but he seems to want create some sort of controversy by replacing all the "running in the forest with corpse paint" with chicks taking drugs/alcohol/partying (like on the "Aut Caesar Aut Nihil" video) while destroying copies of DMDS and similar stuff... looked pretty absurd to me.
Think it qualifies here .. the new album by Peste Noir! In my opinion a masterpiece .. opinions?
One of my favorites from last year. It's quirky, but it works. The sillier parts seem to me satirical, still grounded in something serious. They give of a vibe of cynical irony rather than anything-goes experimentation like Sigh. It all seems calculated, like each genre has been carefully chosen to support the songs theme. Of course I may be way off base, I don't speak a word of french so I don't really know what the album is about. But yeah, it's good. I really love the riffs aswell. Peste's got a pretty unique style of riffing, these distorted, folky melodies, very catchy and beautiful.
Have been revisiting Kristallnacht a lot recently (actually I've been listening to a fair amount of this kind of black metal for the first time in many years). They, he, is really a very good band. On the surface it may sound quite generic but the songwriting and kind of warm-feel of many of the records keeps it a step above virtually everything else in the field. Use to listen to 'Of Elitism and War' the most but this time round I feel 'Warspirit' may be my favourite of his. Thankfully the 'Blooddrenched Memorial 1994-2002' compilation, which has his whole discog, is on Spotify.
