_ _______ _ ...:... _ _______ _ ___ / .:::::::::::. \ ___ | / .. (:::::::::::::) .. \ | | . .:::::.`:::::::::::'.:::::. . | | .::.. `:::.::':::`::.:::' ..::. | _ _______ | .::' ::::':::::`:::: `::. | _______ _ \\ | | :: `' ::':`:: `' :: | | // \ | | `:. .::' . `::. .:' | | / . | | .::::::..::::' ... `::::..::::::. | | . | | `:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' | | .... | | `:' `::::: :: :: :::::' `:' | | .... | ' | : `. ': :: :: :: :: :` .' : | ` | |.....: . .......: :: :: :: :: : ...... . : ....| . ...................: : :: :: :: :: : : ................. . _____________:_____________ _____________:_____________ _ ___\` __ /_\` _______/_\` __ _/_\` /___ _ // __ / (/ ___/ (/ _ (/ /_______/\ _ _ /_________ ___________ ______/\ _ ______________/\__/_ _ \\\\\_________\__/\_________\__/\_____/\_____/\____________/ /// - -\-\-----------\__/----------\__/-------\_____/---------------/-/- - - -------------------: : :. ..:: :: . :------------------ - : : :......: :: :` ': :: : .....: : : ___ _ | | : ` ' : | | _ ___ _\---------- : | -------- : B E R C : -------- | : ----------/_ /_\ . : . ..:.. ..:.. . : . /_\ /// . . : : . . \\\ /: :\ /:: Artist :: Les BΓtards du Roi ::\ :: Album :: Les Chemins de l'exil :: :: Year :: 2025 :: :: __ _ _ __ :: -:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:- :: \ / :: :: . Genre :: Black Metal Source :: CD . :: :: Label :: Les Acteurs de l'Ombre R.date :: 2026-01-31 :: _::__ Cat.nr. :: AO-268 S.date :: 2025-10-10 __::_ ::// \\:: ::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\:: :: :: /: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\ ..: Bitrate :: avg. 266kbps :.. . Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Joint Stereo . . Size :: 94.25 MB . . . __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: 1. La forΩt 5:27 :: :: 2. L'Γme sans repos 4:29 :: :: 3. Vers l'Θtoile solitaire 3:54 :: :: 4. Le chevalier au corbeau 3:46 :: :: 5. Ord vil merdos 5:02 :: :: 6. Le val dormant 7:27 :: :: 7. Les chemins de l'exil 4:13 :: :: 8. La chevauchΘe cadavΘrique 4:38 :: :: 9. Sous la couronne de l'ΘternitΘ 8:08 :: :: :: :: :: :: ------- :: .. >> 47:04 .. __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: :: :: This is another of the newer masked European black metal bands, :: :: only they use what look like some sort of :: :: templar-meets-executioner attire with dirty sacks covering :: :: their faces. From the looks of the sophomore album's cover, I :: :: expected this to be really raw, Medieval and rustic in :: :: execution, but in reality it's much more accessible, with a :: :: cleaner mix of the instruments and an extremely good sense of :: :: melody. I listened back to their s/t debut album from the :: :: previous year, and these building blocks were already present, :: :: but Les chemins de l'exil strikes a much better balance between :: :: the drums, vocals and guitars, where it had seemed a little off :: :: prior. Should this description seem too tidy for a band with :: :: the moniker of Les BΓtards du Roi, fear not, because they keep :: :: things savage enough with the vocals and some of the more :: :: stormy riffs as you'll find in "Chevalier au corbeau", etc. :: :: :: :: That said, they really thrive on the classic sense of melody :: :: that is not uncommon in this scene. Bands like Griffon, Aorhlac :: :: and VΘhΘmence thrive with this aesthetic, but while Les chemins :: :: d'exil isn't quite as ear-bleedingly graceful and catchy as :: :: that last comparison, it's got an almost anthemic quality that :: :: will attach itself to you. There is also plenty of variety, :: :: with some excellent acoustics here, usually used for intros but :: :: so good that I almost didn't want them to end in some places. :: :: In addition to the traditional black metal snarl, there are :: :: some cleaner vocals, often used over the aforementioned :: :: acoustics, but also as these melodic choirs that will erupt :: :: against a surging rhythm. The drums have a great, full feel to :: :: them which lends passion and propulsion to the faster parts, :: :: but also a lot of meat to the slower, airier sections where :: :: you'll be able to pick up on a lot more of the fills. I also :: :: enjoyed the rhythm guitar tone, it's got a springy and natural :: :: feel to the distortion which puts some punch into every melody, :: :: but also works well with such a clean studio mix. :: :: :: :: I've said countless times that the French scene is severely :: :: underrated, with dozens of bands performing at a high level of :: :: proficiency and composition. Yes, some of the more famous, :: :: dissonant outliers like Blut Aus Nord have been enormous, :: :: deservedly so, but I find a lot of these second or third tier :: :: acts' efforts to explore history and nature through the black :: :: metal medium to be highly appealing. If you like any of the :: :: acts I named earlier, or Belenos, or the last couple Seth :: :: records, get your credit card ready because I think you're also :: :: going to be impressed with what's on this disc. :: :: :: :: . _ _ . :: \: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/ __\____ :: ____ ___\ _ / BERC : 2026 \ _ /___ ____ :: ____/__ \\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO/// \ :: :\-\___________\_ ___ / _ _/___________/-/: :: / :: | . . _ _ _/ __/ . \_ _ _ . . | :: : :::::::: | | \\\\\/ _______\____|\ \///// | | :::::::: : :: | | -\-\/____/-------------\____\/-/- | | :: :: | | \ :|: / | | :: : : | . ` ::: ' . | : : . . | : ::: : | . . | :::....:::....::: | : ::::::::::::::::: : . :::''``:::''``::: . : ::: : . ::: . .:. :