Ende reveals its secrets.
After four years of silence and secrecy, the duo formed by I. Luciferia (guitar/bass/vocals/keyboards, Reverence, ex-Osculum Infame…) and Thomas Njodr (drums, Venefixion, ex-Red Dawn…) unveil L’aube des anathèmes, their sixth album, in collaboration with Immortal Frost Productions.
The band is accompanied live by Valentin Jung (bass, ex-Red Dawn), RLN (guitar, Nyarlath) and Briac Tvrqvty (guitar, Red Dawn, Smerter).
The album opens with the ominous tones of Lilitû and a few croaks, later replaced by majestic keyboards and choirs that give way to haunting Black Metal roots as soon as Union Triomphante begins. The screams and Old School sound naturally combine to deliver all the darkness they’re capable of, while captivating us with dark melodies that overcome the opaque rhythm even at the least aggressive moments, such as on the hazy final that leads into the furious Cabale Nocturne. The contrast between the two easily captivates us once again, taking our spirits with it as the light harmonics slow down the base before giving it a haunting approach that turns into quasi-religious silence before being trampled underfoot by Indigent, where blast reigns, fuelling unbridled riffs. There’s a melancholic dimension to the keyboard break, which remains throughout the rest of the track, coupling with the violence to reinforce it, before giving way to the anguished introduction of Favete Linguis. Anxiety lulls us until the rhythmic resumption, where the vocalist rants while the instrumental roars, framed by more ethereal passages before its final chorus that provides a perfect transition to Eclat de Marbre, where the sound becomes more impressive, but also more heart-rending and surprisingly more soaring on the moments of lull. The vocal parts add a chaotic touch to the universe that slowly unfolds until Renaissance, the last composition begun by keyboards that punctuate our plunge into this ocean of unhealthy darkness, where every note and every keystroke serves perfidy before surrendering to silence.
The picture painted by Ende is far from optimistic, but it’s this very pessimism that allows us to truly enter their universe. L’aube des anathèmes is already one of this year’s top picks.
95/100