Aorlhac – L’esprit Des Vents

Aorlhac is a French modern Black Metal act that I have had the pleasure of following for the majority of their sixteen year lifespan – Coincidentally enough, my first introduction to the quartet was the original release of L’esprits Des Vents, one of three albums that they have seen fit to re-release later this month (alongside their first Demo and first Full-length). And, as a huge fan of the band, I jumped at the chance to delve back into this album from fourteen years ago, to see how it holds up – Do bear in mind however, that I will be doing this in chronological backwards order, with the latest release being reviewed first and then working backwards from there. This is solely due to the fact that this particular album was my introduction to the band and made a great impression on me when it was originally released, so I immediately gave it a spin. The rest will soon follow, hopefully in quick succession.

Musically, the new album stays true to the lyrical themes and source material of the bands previous releases – Revolving around medieval times, specifically in and around the French area of Occitan, where all three musicians are born and raised. Sadly I can speak very little of the quality of the lyrics being delivered, considering that I am not capable of speaking French – The tone of voice used, however, speaks very clearly of times of hardship, strife and survival, even though the exact context eludes me.

L’esprit Des Vents contains eleven tracks in total with a running time at almost fifty-eight minutes, making at a very long, very impressive release, one riddled with well-written melodies, a powerful use of all instruments involved and, most noticeable, a strong vocalist delivering the lyrics with all the emphasis and emotion one could ask for.

Aorlhac is a band that has managed to walk a very fine line between being a traditional Black Metal band and something more epic, more symphonic without becoming overly theatrical or tied to christianity, either through lyrical themes or through the use of church organs and the like. The band sticks with the bare minimum (in this case guitars, bas and drums), and instead incorporates much of their culture through the stories they weave and tell, as well as adopting a somewhat ‘French sound’, so addressed because something about the music reminds me of other French Black Metal bands – Most likely the sheer anger and aggression expertly wrapped in the elegance inherent to both their native language and brutality of their culture when seen at their worst. A potent mix, one I rarely stumble upon outside of the French. And needless to say, the album holds up quite well, even if it (by virtue of being a re-release) adds quite literally nothing new to the table, it is still a worthy addition to any Black Metal collection. Not to mention that the new release looks beyond beautiful as a collectors item.

Recommended for fans of Malevolentia, Darkenhöld and Blut Aus Nord.

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