text: Dawid Krosnia
Sorcier des Glaces / Ende (split)
Le Puits des Morts
Obscure Abhorrence Productions
September 20th, 2016
There hasn’t been one full year yet since the excellent Sorcier Des Glaces album, North has seen the daylight but they’ve managed to team up with a French black metal duet, Ende and record a split that contains four songs from each band. Both hordes are currently under the wings of the Obscure Abhorrence Productions, the label whose passion and dedication for the underground black metal scene is visible in the current and past roster.
Le Puits des Morts starts with the title song which translates to English as The Well of Dead. The track begins with a dark, haunted, horror like screams, filling your head with an uneasy feeling of being watched by the dead, followed by ice blasting drums and guitars that will take you to places where the dark wintery night falls on top of the trees over the forest covered in white icy snow. The superb vocal arrangements will send you chills down your spine, you’ll feel the dead whispering in your ear.
Glaciale Solitude… Dans la Pénombre Hivernale, Dans l’immensité Blanche de la Plaine and L’ombre Squelettique du Temps have a similar musical approach. SDG always delivers a mixture of melodies and blasting fast compositions that would make any black metal fan happy. I like the fact that they’re not trying to do something new like many bands do these days. They’ve stayed true to themselves over the last two decades and I respect and fully support that.
The second part of the split belongs to Ende. To be honest with you, I wasn’t familiar with what they do and what they represent. To my surprise, they play quality black metal, slightly different to what SDG offers but yet the same atmospheric and misanthropic approach in their style. The first song, Notre Falaise is a beautifully written over nine minute long, slower track that balances well with the previous four fast songs presented by the Canadian ‘Wizard of Ices’. But don’t be fooled, next up is Sacrifice, the first English title on the split. After the short intro Ende is blasting out fast and furious melodies that will rise a few eyebrows. Many tempo changes make this song one of the strongest from the whole album. How I’ve never heard about them before, I’m not sure! The third song presented by the band, it took me by surprise. Without knowing the song title, I was like… I know this song! I know those riffs!! My brain was looking for answers and finally I’ve come to a conclusion!! It’s Bathory’s Call from the Grave. This song was covered once before by the Swedish horde, Dark Funeral. Ende definitelydid the better job on that. Total respect! The last track presented on this split is an ambient, instrumental song that allows you to cool down after seven perfectly played tunes.
In conclusion, Le Puits des Morts is an excellent production. It has many interesting elements working together quite well. Even the different styles of both bands balance this record pretty well. For me, those eight songs tell a story that must be listened to by everyone of you our dear readers. If I’ve had to judge this album it would be 10/10. Easy! Buy it, enjoy it, support good music! Let the dead be with you!
THE GOAT TAVERN 