Hyrgal continues its ascent.
Created in 2007 in France, the project led by C.F (vocals/guitar, ex-Svart Crown) released a demo, a split, then took a break from 2010 to 2016 before relaunching the machine.
Now accompanied by A.C (bass, Deveikuth, Unholdun), R.S (drums, Crusher, Dissident, ex-Svart Crown) and M.N (guitar/vocals, Havor, Larve), the band announces the release of Sessions Funéraires, their new EP, on Les Acteurs de l’Ombre Productions.
The band starts with the melancholic introduction of Deuil Eclair, which turns into a visceral rage while keeping those dark leads. French vocals give these rax riffs a special flavor, especially on clean parts which are strangely more aggressive, then Phalanges Assassines continues to feed the flames of violence with a frantic and chaotic rhythmic. Sharp leads are perfectly integrated to the heavy and furious atmosphere, letting the brutal approach keep all its strength even during the slightly quieter moments, then Épique Spleen comes to reveal a slightly more accessible Black’n’Roll approach. We still find the band’s characteristic dirty and dark signature, which lets catchy sounds mix with its unhealthy aggressiveness, then Gorge Blanche / Surin Noir offers us a short moment of respite before getting considerably heavier. Clean, then saturated voice tells us its macabre story and accompanies us to this intense final, followed by the strange Hon? ga by? o musabori kuu basho, a rather slow and noisy composition which lets a muffled voice howl in the background while a haunting and worrying melody fascinates us. The few cries lead us to the last track, Dark Endless, a cover of the Swedish giants Marduk, whose raw and aggressive sounds perfectly fit the band’s violent identity.
With this short Sessions Funéraires, Hyrgal gives us some more raw and dark riffs, staying for sure faithful to these grimy and aggressive sounds, building the reputation of French Black Metal. A good way to discover or rediscover this art.
85/100