Register Forgot login?

© 2002-2024
Encyclopaedia Metallum

Privacy Policy

Peste Noire > Phalènes et pestilence - Salvatrice averse > Reviews
Peste Noire - Phalènes et pestilence - Salvatrice averse

Musical microcosm of suffering and hopelessness - 90%

NausikaDalazBlindaz, March 25th, 2014

In English, this demo's title is "Moths and Pestilence - Rain of Salvation" which sounds very drab and ordinary next to the French original which has an air of drama and finality in its pronunciation. The entire recording could be a soundtrack to a tiny film on the psychological impact of the bubonic plague epidemic or any other major disease outbreak on people in mediaeval European towns and the desperate measures they took to stem the toll of the pestilence on their families and communities. Some measures (such as isolation) would have stopped or slowed down the spread of disease but they could also be unbelievably cruel. Other measures included scapegoating innocent people and punishing them with torture or violent death.

The recording divides into three parts which are listed as tracks but they are more like introduction, the opus proper and the conclusion. The introduction describes an incredibly sad and bleak scenario of suffering and madness after a prolonged period of misery, despair at God's indifference and hopelessness leading to depression. The main part of the work rips from religious a cappella chant to frenzied black metal tremolo runs and blast-beat drumming to sorrowful guitar melody. The high-pitched vocals are screechy and hysterical. The music careens madly about as though searching for a cure or a scapegoat to blame. As the music progresses, it becomes more ordered though there is an edginess about it that keeps listeners on alert should the track suddenly jump into an abyss of insanity. Dread, despair, sorrow and suffering suffuse the track.

The instrumental denouement has a triumphal, evil air as if God and Satan alike are sharing the spoils and claiming their own. Guitars and drums set off on a jaunty rollicking journey while voices in the background screech and gabble and bicker over dead bodies.

In just over 15 minutes, Peste Noire has given us a small music microcosm of what human suffering under a great catastrophe far beyond human understanding and catastrophe might be like to experience. This whole work is complete in itself and needs no elaboration, apart from a slightly better production and some tidy-up in parts where the music or chanting fades out and awkward pauses intervene. Although Peste Noire has revisited "Phalenes et Pestilence ..." on other recordings so he obviously felt it was necessary to improve on what already is a great piece of music.

An unlikely tremendous, gigantic masterpiece. - 98%

PourritureTombale, November 10th, 2005

Peste Noire (Famine) has utterly constructed something far beyond normality.
A gripping piece of art, unlike anyother, swallows my soul. Countless are descriptions of what this grim, rude and hateful music is capable of. A perfect, disgustingly satisfying atmostphere, unsurpassable lead guitars, hell-raising drums, torchuring bass lines and of course, a frightning burst of high-pitched schreeching vocals completes it all.

Phalènes et Pestilence - Salvatrice Averse, from beginning to end, drags you into a foreign world. The intro, incredible, fits perfectly here. It's sort of an initiative to this spectacle you're about to assist. Then blends in a hampering impact of a blast beat, accompanied by an incredible rythm guitar and bass, along with horrid vocals. Then strikes a simple yet utterly breathtaking higher melody, which is proper to this decaying atmostphere. Now, much is to be said about the rest of this excellent demo, but am I to describe every single detail? See for yourself. Moving on, Track III delivers an amazing sens of an ultimate despair of an ending. Repetition is nowhere to be found, which keeps you begging for more.

I couldn't think of much else to say about this incredible composition. It left me absolutley speachless, and once again, I should say Famine's talent is quite admirable.

C'est un véritable chef-d'oeuvre!