Ouf métal

Well, here we’ve got some pretty damn solid French heavy metal. The riff style is quite recognizably French, reminding me of Sortilege or High Power, but with a nice pinch of thrash thrown in (while the French never really caught on to thrash, they must’ve known it existed). Just listen to “Vengeance”; that opening bit is definitely thrash. For those who aren’t familiar with French heavy metal, imagine NWOBHM mixed with 70s Judas Priest and Mercyful Fate; surprisingly though, French heavy metal grew up right alongside King Diamond and crew, so the similarity is more likely a result of convergent evolution than actual influence. Compared to their American and even Swedish peers, there’s generally more rock evident in their sound (though not as much as the Hispanic or Italian bands). Still, the French add an undeniable melancholy, morbid, minor-key twist to their heavy metal; it’s evident in just about every band from the scene, and you can hear it right away. Strattson is pretty upbeat in tone when compared to bands like Blaspheme or Sortilege, but still, their heritage shines through on songs like “Au Coeur du Temps”. Also, like most French heavy metal bands, Strattson’s lyrics are in their native language, and while this may bother some I personally find it adds a character to the songs that would otherwise be lacking.

Probably the first thing you’ll notice from Strattson is their singer; he totally kicks ass. He goes from a sort of bellow to a falsetto shriek flawlessly, and both have this great jagged edge; imagine the guy from Vitriol with less whine and more power (if that actually helps anyone, I’ll be surprised). He’s instantly recognizable, and has a great personality too; in a scene full of great singers, J.C. Stratt still stands out (anyone wondering at the marked lack of singing talent in the Swedish heavy metal scene need only look as far as the French to see that balanced out). Oh, and did I mention he’s the lead guitarist too? Plus, for those racially interested metalheads, he’s black! Rejoice or despair, depending on your orientation, but I’ll just enjoy his voice. A bit of a downside though is Ouf Metal’s rather weak production. It’s far from a crippling problem, and the mix is decent enough, but the guitar tone sounds a bit thin and tinny, though it’s still loud.

On the whole the songs are all more or less winners; nothing sticks out as weak, and despite the French in general being quite good at ballads (usually making them about death rather than love), Strattson don’t bother with any. Some tracks are a little better than others, such as “Au Coeur du Temps” and “Ténèbres”, and the English-language “Speed Machine” isn’t quite up to par, but in general it’s all straight-ahead, no-nonsense heavy metal all the way. Strattson aren’t going to win any awards for innovation, but the album is just a fuck of a lot of fun to hear, and you can tell the band is having fun playing it too; I’ll take solid but traditional over innovation for its own sake any day of the week. If you want a taste, there are a couple Strattson videos up on YouTube (along with those of a lot of other French heavy metal bands), and who doesn’t like free fun? Oh, and for anyone who’s wondering, “ouf” is apparently the French equivalent to “phew”. And apparently everyone in the band's last name is "Stratt". What a strange gimmick.