À l'âme enflammée, l'äme constellée...

Gris is a Canadian black metal outfit that has been active since 2004, originally known as Niflheim. This two-piece released their first endeavor, Neurasthénie, before changing their name to Gris in 2006. In 2007, they released their debut full-length under their new moniker, Il Était une Forêt.... The band plays an orchestral atmospheric breed of black metal that is rather bleak, yet astoundingly beautiful in jest. Both members amalgamate their talents as multi-instumentalists to give the band an epic sense of awe through-out their substantially written songs. Their melancholic sound swirls around a variety of themes pertaining to emotion and spirituality. This is heavy music in more than one sense. However, it maintains a soothing vibe of an almost meditative experience.

Gris are set to unfurl their latest masterpiece entitled, À l'Âme Enflammée, l'Äme Constellée..., July 9th. With this release, the band furthers themselves as masters of their craft. À l'Âme Enflammée, l'Äme Constellée... is an atmospheric journey deep within the darker, somber realms of the soul. Intricate, moody and perplexing, the album levitates through a series of ten thoughtful tracks. As with their previous albums, the songs remain substantial in length, and the album over all reaches a playing time of eighty minutes.

Gris showcase their talents with a heavy use of strings and melodic acoustic interludes laced with black metal of a doom-inspired nature. Their musicianship is unmatched and À l'Âme Enflammée, l'Äme Constellée... flourishes with a full, bright sound, impressive for a two-man band. The music itself shimmers and wisps with dissonance and often the use of builds creates a suspenseful vibe that ignites into affecting explosions. À l'Âme Enflammée, l'Äme Constellée... echo's feelings of loss and resignation as highlighted through its ethereal sound and tortured vocal performance.

Gris has produced a pure paradigm and their greatest work to date. À l'Âme Enflammée, l'Äme Constellée... is a very serious record and for those with the patience and aptitude that seek more than just a "toe-tapper". It is a very introspective work; the type of album that is best experienced through headphones and commands the total attention of its listener to gather the full appreciation it wholly deserves. However, it is a work of absolute brilliance, and for those able to settle deep within it, it remains an unequivocal paramount experience.
***Originally written for and by www.deathportal.net