Band:	Bosse-De-Nage
Album:	All Fours
Style:	Black metal, Post-metal
Release date:	April 2015

01. At Night
02. The Industry Of Distance
03. -
04. A Subtle Change
05. Washerwoman
06. In A Yard Somewhere
07. Too Fall Down
08. The Most Modern Staircase

Foregoing the usual introductory wankery, if there was one reason to listen to this album, it's the drumming. Sweet zombie Jesus, the drumming. Not only is it impressive in sheer speed and technical showmanship; it's goddam inspiring. I feel like I should build a house or cure AIDS. It's punk, it's hardcore, it's a benchmark for any drummer who considers himself worth a damn. Some of the snare and bass patterns are just dizzying, and unlike 90% of releases out there today, the production sounds live and completely devoid of digital makeover.

Kit work aside, the vocals and guitars are equally stirring. They may not reach the same heights of musicianship, but these tortured post-hardcore howls and jangly indie guitar lines get you right in the gut. Between the punk rock rhythms and positive-sounding melodies, there is very little I would consider "black metal" about this album. The vocals are a touch more grim than your average post-hardcore, but I feel like we're just splitting hairs over a single click past Touche Amore. Regardless, this is more of a personal issue with nomenclature than a complaint. Whatever you call it, All Fours is certainly a worthwhile piece of art.

Certain tracks, especially in the first half, soar to great heights. "At Night" absolutely rips through its 8:21 runtime as if it's 2 minutes. "The Industry of Distance" doesn't skip a beat, further wrapping the listener in post-rock tremolo hooks. Finally, "To Fall Down" is an uplifting track that pummels in the first and third movements, but takes a fun detour into bouncy basslines and guitar picking that would be right at home on a Modest Mouse album.

Unfortunately, like my namesake, Bosse-De-Nage may fly a bit too close to the sun. I feel like the album loses steam about halfway through, right after the ironically-titled "A Subtle Change." While "Washerwoman" sports a pretty blistering second half, it takes far too long to get there with its slow, spoken-word build. This track feels like it might have been more at home on the group's previous album which sported similar ideas. "In A Yard Somewhere" is a slow, depressive song that overstays its welcome with some pretty repetitive riffs, and "The Most Modern Staircase" commits a little of both of these sins despite some great melodies that brought to mind Moonlover.

Final word: still required listening for 2015. Despite my general disdain for "post-black" and the frequent comparisons to what I considered to be the highly overrated Sunbather, All Fours is an impressive piece of raw post-hardcore that delightfully tows the line between the hopeful and the mournful. If this had been a four-song EP, I might have given this album a 9 or a 10. Even so, the tracks I had problems with are far from unlistenable. More importantly those amazing drums are just as energetic throughout my least favorite moments. Pick it up for only 7.99 CAD on Bandcamp.