Sombre Héritage - Alpha Ursae Minoris (2020)

Unleashing a barrage of punishing Black Metal anthems, today we have Quebec’s Sombre Héritage with “Alpha Ursae Minoris”. For those not paying attention, the Canadian Black Metal scene has been flourishing in the last few years and this outfit is yet another crushing band hailing from our neighbors in the North. Spanning 6 tracks and nearly 40 minutes of music, this release delivers relentless brutality and incisive precision.

Opening with the riveting “Polaris”, we get that 90’s BM vibe thanks to the punishing riffs and well-tempered drumming onslaughts. The song sets a very firm and crushing pace that is never relinquished throughout the rest of the album. “Sombre Héritage” rolls in with more of that magical intensity thanks to an early Emperor/Satyricon vibe paired with crafty tempo changes and eerie atmospheric arrangements to contrast the brutal and melodic sections.

One of our favorite tracks is the melodramatic “Nature Souillée” filled with crafty atmospheric keyboards, punishing vocals, and a very melodic and sinister tempo. Being far from linear, the band cranks up the speed when needed as it shows on the dynamic “Déchéance” and the blistering opening of “Dissidence”. The band’s combination of atmospheric elements, eerie clean vocals and pummeling intensity creates a very unique and punishing brand of Black Metal that the band executes with perfection.

Closing with the somber “Ténèbres”, the band continually demonstrates their dynamic sound and how they can go from completely atmospheric to total mayhem and crushing intensity within a few seconds. Overall, “Alpha Ursae Minoris” is one of those punishing releases that delivers both intensity and melody with great style and finesse. Perfect for the Black Metal connoisseur, Sombre Héritage is crafting some highly effective music that needs to be heard.

Label: Sepulchral Productions

Release: June 24th, 2020

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Canada