Pensées Nocturnes - Nom d'une Pipe! (2013)

The moment you think you have heard it all, you get an album like “Nom d'une Pipe!”. Breaking the boundaries of Avant-garde Black Metal by infusing some neo-classical and jazz influences, Pensées Nocturnes manages to deliver one of the most diabolically excellent releases we have heard in the last few years. Taking were Arcturus and their “La Masquerade Infernale” left off, this release has a exquisite circus feeling mixed into the whole Avant-garde BM theme.

Opening with the dark “Il a mangé le soleil” the band initially sets a very chaotic and aggressive mood that is very typical of Avant-garde BM release. The band’s musical elegance really kicks in when the enthralling “Le Marionnettiste” brings its jazzy and extremely psychotic sound. Reminding us a bit of bands like Angizia and Elend, but with a darker and heavier vibe, the wind and string classical instruments are just excellent and allow the atmosphere to drastically transform.

After the initial shock, things keep getting more interesting with “Les Hommes à la Moustache”, a very Lacrimosa-sounding track from the “Stille” and “Elodia” era. The band never leaves their aggressive and BM roots with tracks like “La Berger”, where they showcase their power and excellent clean/harsh vocal arrangements. The vocals are nearly as good as Kristoffer Rygg, but they have an extra raw and dramatic feeling that propels them through this release.

The band excels in mixing the aggressive Avant-garde BM sections with lush orchestral passages creating downright creepy atmospheres that make you feel like on a bad trip with classical music playing on the background, “La Chimère” is one clear example of this madness. The theatrical aspects behind the music are quite exquisite, and songs like “L'Androgyne” and our personal favorite “La Sirène” deliver multi-layered tracks that are just impressive and crushing at the same time.

Closing the album with the excellent (and very recognizable) “Bonne Bière et Bonne Chère” gives a very uplifting feeling to nicely end such a very well-crafted and intricate release. If you are fan of neo-classical music with aggressive Avant-garde metal thrown into the mix, “Nom d'une Pipe!” is one release you need to hunt down and purchase no matter how much it costs.

Release: March 30th, 2013

Genre: Avant-garde Black Metal / Neoclassical

Country: France