Via Doloris is born.
Created by Gildas le Pape (guitar/vocals/bass, formerly live for Satyricon), with the help of Frost (drums, Satyricon, 1349, ex-Gorgoroth, ex-Keep of Kalessin…), the project signs with Season of Mist to unveil its first album, Guerre et Paix.
The album opens with the chilling Communion, a track that leaves nothing to chance and skillfully builds its heavy atmosphere, notably thanks to hoarse vocals and dissonant harmonics. The fury of the rhythm section meets a more ethereal style of playing, offering a heady approach that will quickly captivate fans of Norwegian sounds until the end of the track, leading immediately into Un Franc Soleil, which evokes a certain melancholy. The French lyrics are perfectly suited to this ethereal touch, barely counterbalanced by the solo before the saving break, which naturally intensifies the return before giving way to Omniprésents, whose brutality is immediately apparent through the devastating blast, followed by even more virulent roars. We feel literally buried under this avalanche of riffs, but a few lulls are still to be expected in the storm, such as the few choirs or the haunting harmonics, then For The Glory comes crashing down on us with a much more martial rhythm. The riffs tend to calm down afterwards, but they remain deeply marked by this bellicose spark that flares up from time to time without ever abandoning the melodious thread woven naturally before finally joining the very long Ultime Tourment. Lasting more than ten minutes, it starts rather slowly and with a hypnotic touch that finally ignites to become a continuous, heavy sound in waves, sometimes even approaching medieval tones in the most violent moments, creating a contrast in which one can easily lose oneself before the sound cuts off abruptly, giving way to Visdommens Vei I. The end of the album takes shape with its dissonant melodies, sometimes abrasive but always icy, filling our minds before the arrival of a rhythm and mysterious vocals, almost mystical when doubled with choirs or church bells. Then, after a climax, Visdommens Vei II takes over, acting as a final ritualistic surge to accompany us towards the inevitable silence.
Via Doloris has drawn on the experience of its creator, navigating between several roots of Black Metal to create Guerre et Paix, a rich and transcendent album that deserves more than one listen to grasp all its nuances, both aggressive and soaring.
90/100