It’s time for Précieux Sang to unveil their debut album.
Formed in 2019 in Quebec, the band remains anonymous, but signs in 2022 with Eisenwald for the release of Les Nuits de Gethsémani.
The album consists of three long, raw and mystical tracks, exploring three scenes depicting a man climbing bare feet the Mount of Olives. While the biblical reference doesn’t speak to me without some research, Le Sang du Mystère, the first track, quickly becomes heady, letting hazy vocals emerge to tell its tale on this oppressive but catchy basis. The frightening screams in French and the riffs’ permanent dissonance allow the band to feed their heavy atmosphere during the slower parts as well as during the frantic moments before Délectation Morose adds a touch of melancholy to this oppressive Black Metal. One can easily notice that the atmosphere is much darker, letting despair progressively inhabit riffs and vocals while slowing down again by developing a throbbing sound. De la Paille et du Grain, the last track, brings that wild drumming back to create an impenetrable wall of sound before letting a vocal sample come, accompanied by melodic leads which drive us to that moment of fullness, finally interrupted by darkness, and followed by intense raw screams. The track is long, and it allows the band to close its album by making each note, each scream and each silence come alive, before gradually leaving us.
For their first release, Précieux Sang strikes hard. If Quebec Black Metal’s reputation is not to be made anymore, I would easily bet for Les Nuits de Gethsémani to quickly become one of the classics of the genre, and on which the band will grow.
85/100
