Hellebore has blossomed in the shadows.
Cultivating its darkness since late 2023, the band led by Roman (guitar, Arntor, ex-Alkhemia, ex-Sorcières) and Fea (vocals, Adraste, Rakdal) now joined by Clément (guitar, Dioxine, Gaiseric), Leo (drums, Velvet Mayhem, Pilot the Whales) and Thibaut (bass, Lappalainen, Sorcières), has finally unveiled its first EP, Hiraeth.
The EP opens with its title track Hiraeth, where we discover a raw blend of violence and palpable melancholy, over which French vocals naturally emerge, at first clean and gentle, but transforming into screams as the riffs ignite. Blackgaze roots provide a brief, intoxicating lull, but the visceral rage returns with a vengeance to shake up the mix once more, including during the intoxicating lead section that leads us to a softer conclusion and then on to Sisyphe, the next track, which starts off fairly calmly. We hear the vocalist’s cries as the riffs thicken on their own, letting us drift along until the song reaches a pause where a few lines are then delivered, reinforcing the track’s impact before the return of the distortion that haunts the scene more intensely, even offering a few more jagged passages before transitioning into De l’Éthique et de l’Ambiguïté, the third and final track, which features a sampled interview set to a gentle, haunting melody that accelerates slightly before finally setting us free.
Very short, but above all very intense, Hiraeth is a very promising debut for Hellebore, a young band with a distinct identity. Having already attended one of the band’s shows, I can’t help but feel confident about what’s to come, while eagerly awaiting their next release.
95/100