Loup Noir – Requiem
France
Death To Peace Productions
Loup Noir ("black wolf") from France is the project of sole musician Alrinack. He seems to be behind a dozen other projects as well, although this is the first of them that I have heard.
"Requiem" consists of six songs of pure black metal with minimalist arrangements and an underproduced sound that suits the music they play.
You can expect nothing less than an auspicious slab of raw black metal done right, as the whole album is replete with compositional depth and an atmosphere that is both melancholic and rich in texture.
Loup Noir has that characteristic French sound, which is always apparent in their music. While I wouldn't claim this to be the next best thing, Loup Noir's music is certainly moving enough to leave an impression on the ears of anyone with a proclivity for true underground black metal.
The interplay between the drums and guitars differs in interesting ways as the music incorporates intriguing passages filled with spooky, yet decidedly melancholic riffs, which in addition is complemented with an array of haunting howls and screams.
The songs range from mid-tempo to slower, more brooding passages, but one thing that is certain is that the flow always feels right, including the fact that each composition flows together seamlessly.
Overall, "Requiem" has a very strong feeling of decadence, in addition to its minimalistic approach giving it an emphatically nostalgic tone. Furthermore, the music has a lot of replay value, with the music hardly wearing off after the first couple of spins. This is simply excellent black metal. (HT)