Band:	Hanternoz
Album:	Linceuls d'écume
Style:	Black metal, Celtic folk metal
Release date:	2010

01. Passage du ressac
02. Suaires de brume
03. Orage d'acier
04. Sentiers d'embruns
05. Avel an Hanternoz
06. Tourbière du repos

Hanternoz, a French black metal band not in any way connected with flag bearers such as Deathspell Omega or Blut Aus Nord, released this EP back in 2010, most likely hoping for more people like me to pick up on it and write a few nice words about it here and there.

Truth be told, there are definitely some nice words one can say about this release. The grimy production and traditional straightforward black metal riffing bring to mind the likes of pretty much any Norwegian black metal outfit from the second wave, yet they aren't limited to such a restricted niche. Linceuls d'écume features a ton of folk metal elements, with an emphasis put on the flute. This melodic, not-necessarily cheesy touch helps the listener digest the music easier as a whole.

Imagine mixing the Braveheart OST with early Darkthrone, but replace Fenriz with a vocalist who employs a far deeper form of grunting as opposed to the typical black metal shriek, and you have a pretty good understanding of what this band sounds like. Some of the riffs seem to come straight out of the '90s, while others take a more modern melodic influence and benefit from the use of the keyboard.

Even if you share my love affair with extreme, raw, primitive black metal with a do-it-yourself sound, this EP doesn't have a strong enough enticement factor to elevate one's interest beyond listening to it once or twice. The songs lack any kind of dynamic appeal, especially once you've gotten over the fact they implement some joyous Celtic instrumentation, but there is potential in the songwriting that suggests these guys might one day step up and achieve the same level of success as fellow Celtic metal countrymates Bran Barr.