The story of RüYYn is being written now.
After an excellent debut EP independently released in 2021, then published in physical form by Les Acteurs De L’Ombre, Romain « Rx XN » Paulet (vocals/all instruments, Natremia, BlackBeast, live for Lunar Tombfields) once again calls on illustrator Joanna Maeyens to appropriately announce the release of his debut album, Chapter II: The Flames, the Fallen, the Fury.
Divided into six distinct parts, The Flames, The Fallen, The Fury begins with part I with a veritable surge of raw but relatively haunting darkness, from which hazy howls emerge from time to time. Some parts are softer, even accessible, and the contrast with the more aggressive explosions is perfectly managed, especially the more Old School and catchy elements, but this complementarity is also found on part II, which places its dissonant harmonics on a catchy and naturally energetic basis. The calmer hypnotic bass passage towards the center allows the listener to breathe before guitar returns to accompany it, creating a fascinating polyphony that calms down before igniting for an intense final, giving way to a relatively haunting approach on part III, where screams quickly become more massive. The track itself becomes quite oppressive after a while, but it’s also by far the shortest on the album, letting its darkness lighten up to give life to part IV and its relatively calm introduction, which eventually turns into a motivated but chilling charge where furious vocal parts and dissonant leads take turns to lacerate us, before the rhythm pauses, followed by the return of raw rage and rocky screams. On part V, bass and drums are quite distant at first, but gradually advance towards us and the guitar to develop together a kind of heady haze from which mystical chants emerge before a much more powerful voice. The rhythm remains relatively slow, especially during the final moments when it gradually fades away, then comes to life again with part VI, first thanks to a solid basis that allows the leads to develop, then with this burst of dark energy coupled with a latent melancholy that is fully expressed on the track’s final movement, which leads it to silence.
Rooted in an impressive darkness, Chapter II – The Flames, The Fallen, The Fury allows RüYYn to offer us six diverse and intense parts, each offering its own approach to Black Metal within a captivating atmosphere.
95/100
A few questions to Romain Paulet, creator of one-man band RüYYn.
Hello, and thank you for your time! How would you introduce the RüYYn band without using the usual musical style labels?
Romain Paulet (all instruments): A cry in the desert shrouded in nihilism and psychiatric therapy.
How did you decide on the spelling and case of the name RüYYn?
Romain: I absolutely wanted to keep the name Ruine for this project, but as I said before, it’s a name that’s used a lot in the scene. The idea of transforming the spelling into something visual and intriguing came to me just like that. I ran a few tests until I came up with something that caught my eye and appealed to me.
Chapter II – The Flames, The Fallen, The Fury, your debut album, is about to be released. Have you had any feedback on it yet?
Romain: At the time of writing, it’s already out. The feedback has been excellent, which is always nice. I was confident, because I don’t release something I don’t believe in.
How would you sum up Chapter II – The Flames, The Fallen, The Fury in three words?
Romain: Fierce, contemplative, nihilistic.
Chapter II – The Flames, The Fallen, The Fury comes out two years after your first EP, RüYYn. Did you notice any changes or evolutions in your creative process?
Romain: Of course, it’s natural to want to evolve. I don’t see myself doing the same album 6 times. I need to do different things, not repeat myself, but you have to stay consistent. I’m not going to make a Death album under the name RüYYn just to say « I do different things for different albums ». It’s a difficult exercise. Adding new elements, renewing yourself and keeping a certain identity.
How do you relate the name RüYYn to your music?
Romain: It’s an inner state. It’s something I fight against so as not to sink permanently. It’s also an expression of my aversion to the modern world. A ruin on which we can rise or fade away.
I noticed on this album a much more accessible, almost « modern » mix at times, than on the EP, leaving a little more room for the bass, for example. Is this a deliberate move on your part? How do you manage the balance between each element?
Romain: Yes, my aim is for each instrument to be audible, because each one contributes to the music. The bass is very important on this album. It’s at the center of certain passages, adds color and so on… So it was only logical that it should stand out more than on the EP. It’s not a coincidence. I’m not going to make a dirty sound just because it’s « Black Metal ». The mix should serve your music, not format it. As far as the management of each element is concerned, I work a lot on their relationships. I always have an idea beforehand of the sound I want and how I’m going to make it all work together, but there’s also an element of technical experimentation. Sometimes it gives great results, sometimes it’s just crap, and you come back to what works best for you.
There are also some much rougher, Old School parts, whether in the vocals or the rhythm section itself. Where do you draw your inspiration from? Whether for the lyrics or the instrumentals.
Romain: I grew up and got my start with 90’s Black Metal, so that’s where most of my musical inspiration comes from. Then there are more modern bands like MGLA for the more « recent » ones, Deathspell Omega from the Si Monvmentvm period, and different styles like Blues, Jazz, 70’s Rock and a lot of so-called Ambient music. All this is relatively digested. The creative process comes mainly from a sentimental state, from escapades in nature. When it comes to lyrics, I don’t have any particular inspiration. I’m not a great reader, I can’t concentrate for long on what I’m reading, my brain quickly goes elsewhere. It just comes to me.
I know this is a difficult question, but do you have a favorite track on this album? Or the one that seemed the most natural to compose?
Romain: A few weeks ago, I would have said the first track. It’s difficult, I love them all. Part III was composed in a day, the others took much longer. Today I’d say Part II, and if I’m lucky tomorrow I’ll tell you Part V.
You once again called on Joanna Maeyens for the artwork. What can you tell us about this collaboration?
Romain: It’s harmonious. I submit visual ideas to Joanna, whatever I want. We take some time to discuss them together. She immediately grasps the intention, and the result is still incredible. When she offers me her work, there’s hardly any retouching to be done. She has this particular sensitivity in her work and that’s why I chose her.
Chapter II – The Flames, The Fallen, The Fury is out on Les Acteurs De L’Ombre, the label that released your first EP in physical form. Has releasing the album directly with them changed anything in your approach to music?
Romain: It’s been very good, it’s a label of passionate people who are 200% committed to the bands. It doesn’t affect my musical approach in any way. I’m the sole master of my own artistic direction. At the moment, they’re very happy with what I’m offering, and if that changes, I’ll have to make the right decision.
How did you discover Extreme Metal, and more specifically the Black Metal scene? In your opinion, what are the scene’s must-have bands?
Romain: Back then, there was no Youtube, Spotify or Deezer, and the internet was still in its infancy and so slow that it took a day to download a simple jpeg image. When I was a kid, AC/DC was to me the most violent band ever, until the day a friend’s older brother gave me a compilation CD with Morbid Angel, Slayer, Sepultura, Slipknot, Korn, etc…. From then, I was always looking for more extreme, darker music. At the time, the most accessible « Black Metal » bands were Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth. From there, the door opened to the Norwegian scene. The first real Black album I listened to was Darkthrone‘s Panzerfaust, followed by Emperor‘s In the Nightside Eclipse. That’s what I was looking for. Emperor is the band that made me want to make music. There are so many bands on the Black scene today that the list would be long. The must-haves are the legendary bands of the 90s that everyone knows. Emperor, Gorgoroth, Darkthrone, Burzum, Mayhem, Dissection, Marduk, etc… On the more current side, I’d say MGLA of course, Darvaza, Misþyrming, Minenwerfer, Akhlys.
The band is basically your solo project, but you’ve recruited a number of musicians for the live shows. How did you choose them?
Romain: When I released the RüYYn EP, I met Azh, drummer with Natremia and Lunar Tombfields. We hit it off right away and he suggested I join Natremia as a guitarist, which I accepted. At our first rehearsal, we played a track and looked at each other – something had just happened. We didn’t know each other and it felt like we’d been playing together for 10 years. When I got the idea of putting RüYYn on stage, I knew just who to turn to.
Do you have any plans for the future of RüYYn?
Romain: To play as much as possible, to take part in festivals, to tour France and Europe, to spread RüYYn wherever possible, to make my mark on this vast scene.
How does a RüYYn concert work from your point of view? Do you plan to increase the number of dates in the future?
Romain: That’s a very difficult question to answer. I’m always in a trance-like state on stage. I externalize a lot, but at the same time I have to stay focused on our performance. My aim is to distill a climate of rage, so that the audience wants to scream and forget its own existence for 50 minutes. As I said earlier, I want us to be able to play as much as possible in the best possible conditions.
Are there any musicians or artists you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
Romain: I’ve never asked myself that question. I don’t know, we’ll see what the future holds.
Do you think you’ve improved as a musician with this album?
Romain: Given my desire to vary and enrich my influences, I suppose so.
What bands do you dream of playing with? I’ll let you imagine a date for the release of Chapter II – The Flames, The Fallen, The Fury with RüYYn opening, and three other bands.
Romain: Michael Jackson / Pink Floyd / Aretha Franklin.
That was my last question, so I’d like to thank you for your availability, and leave you with the last words!
Romain: Thanks to all those who support my work and to you who take the time to read me. Don’t miss RüYYn. The fire is blazing.