Cantique Lépreux: Cendres Célestes (2016)

Here we have the debut album from Quebec black metal band Cantique Lépreux.  I previously reviewed their second album and was completely blown away by the band to the extent that I tracked down the debut and also discovered an entire scene I had somehow missed.  The Quebec black metal scene has since become a current favorite, and unlike say, The Black Twilight Circle, this scene is still going strong.  Just look at the band who released my Top EP of 2019, Monarque.

The sound here is one is typical for Quebec black metal.  By that I mean that it truly sounds like a blizzard.  Featuring a variety of icy cold, cascading tremolo riffs, rolling drums and freezing vocals, it is the sound of winter winds blowing through a desolate landscape.  It is atmospheric black metal that borrows from Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger, but twists it and shapes it into something new.  At the same time, it is surprisingly melodic, with some damn good guitar solos.  Again, this is common for the scene. 

This is quickly becoming a favorite scene of mine.  Cantique Lépreux was the band that introduced me to it, but I have since branched out.  This album is a great example of what makes this scene so interesting.  Monarque is still my favorite band from the scene, but Cantique Lépreux is up there, at least until I can get into some of the giants of the scene, like Forteresse.

Cantique Lépreux: Paysages Polaires (2018)

That's a lot of French in that band name and title.  It comes as no surprise then that Cantique Lépreux hail from Québec.  Well, maybe a little.  Looking at the album cover, one would think that if this band were truly metal at all, that they would be atmospheric black metal focused on nature or something of that sort.  One would be wrong.

This is a surprisingly aggressive form of black metal, though not without its more melodic passages.  The music is very cold, owing a great deal to Canadian black metal bands like Gris and Tenebrae, along with some Immortal and Mayhem thrown in.  Featuring icy tremolo riffing and chilling shrieked vocals, you can almost see your breath while listening to this album. 

There is an overwhelming sense of isolation and foreboding doom hanging over this entire album.  The English translation of the title is "polar landscapes" and the title could not be more apt.  This album puts into music the sense of terror at being lost in a frozen wasteland.  It is cold and hostile and yet can be beautiful and atmospheric at some times. 

This is an intriguing album that stays with the listener long after it is over.  The band successfully captures a cold and lonely atmosphere throughout the entire album.  It is incredibly effective.  I am definitely looking forward to more.