Band:	Sanguine Glacialis
Album:	Maladaptive Daydreaming
Style:	Melodic death metal, Gothic metal
Release date:	August 2023

01. Welcome
02. Immuration
03. Malevolent Creativity
04. Ars Moriendi
05. Resilience
06. Cauchemort
07. Rêveries Obsessives
08. Paracusia
09. Inadaptation
10. Burst In Flames
11. Resignation

Here is some Montreal music that cools your blood. The unique blend of gothic metal and melodic death / black metal brought forth by Sanguine Glacialis has crystallized into a third album. Five years have gone by since 2018's Hadopelagic, but in the form Maladaptive Daydreaming picks up where its predecessor ended. By that, I do mean that another maelstrom of beauty and brutality has been successfully unleashed upon our mortal world.

Throughout the years, the common denominator and main force behind Sanguine Glacialis has undeniably been Maude Théberge. She is equal part soprano goth and malevolent spirit on vocals, a master of keyboards/piano and the chief orchestrator of the complex layers of music. She is obviously surrounded by solid musicians: Marc Gervais on bass, Jonathan Fontaine and Alexandre Lépine on guitars, and Jérémy Racine on drums. This lineup is as solid as it comes, with a strong core as Marc and Jonathan having been an integral part of the band since 2016. There are moments on the album for each one of them to shine.

From the get-go, "Welcome" sets the tone for an intense listening experience, a real power opener that encompasses soft piano parts, soulful saxophone, operatic vocals and anger-charged growls. "Immuration" is a perfect example of balancing shadows and light within a few intense minutes of musical mastery. To note, the inclusion of French lyrics here and there adds a lot, brings out the duality of Quebec bands in that eternal struggle of languages. "Malevolent Creativity" reminds me a lot of the best symphonic black metal tunes a la Dimmu Borgir, in both orchestration, violence and beauty. "Ars Moriendi" has a similar atmosphere with the added bonus of a sorrowful violin that isn't without evoking Ne Obliviscaris. "Resilience" showcases a lighter polka tempo for less than a minute then breaks into complete and brilliant madness, with an opera undertone and tribal rhythms all mixed-in. This is for me one of the highlights of Maladaptive Daydreaming.

"Cauchemort" brings the forlorn sound of a cello into the fold, on the topic of nightmare about death laid upon a piano melody and a dynamic and ever-evolving metal opus; while "Paracusia" is probably the most powerful track, in both form and overall emotional level. "Inadaptation" mixes cello and bass lines to launch into a juggernaut of a song that features a very proggy bridge a la Leprous. The intro on "Burst In Flames" promises a ballad but delivers another unstoppable progressive death / black typhoon, which makes it another notable standout track. "Resignation" ends things on a high note, the song being a distillation of what Sanguine Glacialis have best to offer from rough blackness to sudden progressive song structures all tied together with symphonic and operatic structures.

Sanguine Glacialis is most definitely one of those bands who deserve to reach more listeners. Maladaptive Daydreaming should get the job done. It's complex yet subtle, captivating yet diverse, and overall an amazing metal album. If you're not afraid of genre-defying songs with goth imagery and soul, and ever-evolving sonic landscapes, you will enjoy feeling your blood getting colder listening to this impressive piece of music. This is my kind of intense, deranged, yet beautiful music. I am already kicking myself for being out of country for their scheduled album release show in Montreal.