▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Forteresse ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Crepuscule d'Octobre █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2011 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2012-03-18 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Sepulchral Productions ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ My impression of Canadian black metal has always █ █ been in the form of war metal in the veins of █ █ bands like Blasphemy and Conqueror, with little █ █ attention paid to bands that play other forms of █ █ black metal in the country. On first look at the █ █ album artwork, it was hard to decide what category █ █ Fortresse would fall into. Crepuscule d'Octobre is █ █ my first encounter with the band and I have to say █ █ I was pretty surprised listening to the album for █ █ the first time. █ █ While the album artwork gives the imagery of █ █ summer sunshine and of the harvesting season, once █ █ the album begins, any such impressions are lost as █ █ what is presented musically is cold and █ █ atmospheric black metal with no attempt to provide █ █ any warmth to listeners whatsoever. Album opener █ █ Silence d'octobre emits an almost depressive feel, █ █ with melodies that remind listeners of closing █ █ tracks of recent Satanic Warmaster albums (such as █ █ Utug Hul, minus the vocals). But once the intro █ █ ends, and the album begins proper, the listener is █ █ thrown into an epic journey. The slightly raw █ █ production of the album provides the music with a █ █ huge soundscape, with the epic guitar sound and █ █ the vocals that fade in and out with ease, never █ █ sounding too intrusive or too abrasive. The drums █ █ and guitars are also tuned in such a way that they █ █ sound slightly distant from the listener, and this █ █ is done in good taste as well. █ █ The music on the album also displays how it is not █ █ the band's intention to come up with technical █ █ songs, reinvent nor push boundaries of the genre, █ █ as most of the songs feature riffs that are █ █ repeated throughout, and are often in the 9 minute █ █ range. It almost feels as if the whole idea of the █ █ record is to drown the listener in the large █ █ atmosphere, and the only way to enjoy the record █ █ is to throw everything on one's mind aside and █ █ fully indulge in the epic musical journey. The █ █ atmospheric element on the music easily reminds █ █ listeners of bands like Old Wainds, or a more epic █ █ version of Finnish bands like Satanic Warmaster. █ █ That said though, the members also sufficiently █ █ display their talents throughout, such as drummer █ █ Fiel who, like their more aggressive black metal █ █ counterparts, pounds relentlessly on the drums and █ █ never fails to keep the pace of the band in check. █ █ The band also incorporates a number of unique █ █ elements, with folk-sounding introductions on some █ █ of the tracks (like La lame du passΘ) before █ █ giving way to their usual black metal style, and █ █ these help to provide refreshing moments, █ █ especially for listeners that get easily bored █ █ through the repetitive riffs (though this should █ █ have put them off by the third track on the █ █ album). Various spoken samples and spoken vocals █ █ are also littered throughout the album to help to █ █ bring out the emotional aspects of the album, and █ █ these are done well too. For example, on Le █ █ triomphe des douze, vocalist Athros speaks in a █ █ heroic-sounding voice, adding in certain folk █ █ metal elements into the music at the same time. █ █ The lyrics on the album are all written in French █ █ though, so people who don't know French will not █ █ be able to appreciate the lyrics, though this does █ █ little to reduce the enjoyment of the album █ █ personally. The lyrical themes of Quebec █ █ nationalism would be interesting to history buffs █ █ though, with stories about the history being █ █ narrated in the form of black metal by the band. █ █ Generally, Crepuscule d'Octobre is certainly not █ █ an album for everyone, especially for people who █ █ like their black metal more aggressive and █ █ straight in the face. However, this album would █ █ definitely be a good companion for those seeking █ █ to have a somewhat more soothing journey, yet █ █ looking for music that remains in the black metal █ █ genre at the same time. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Silence d'Octobre 2:29 ░ ░ 2. Le Triomphe des Douze 7:19 ░ ░ 3. La Lame du Passe 9:26 ░ ░ 4. Mon Esprit Rode Toujours 6:56 ░ ░ 5. Spectres du Solstice 9:19 ░ ░ 6. Enfants du Lys 9:06 ░ ░ 44:35 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░