Published: July 17, 2015

Translated as ‘loss’, France’s Verlies is a new three piece act, and Les Domaines Du Hommes was self released back in 2014, but the re-release has been picked up fittingly by Hypnotic Dirge Records. So the combination o the band name, country of origin and the label should clue you in as yo what to expect here.

Yes, depressive, but layered and typically ambitious and atmospheric French black metal is on tap here, and it’s got a certain j’ne cais pas to it that’s  complex and progressive within the paradigms of black metal and depressive/atmospheric music . Amid all the tenets of the style such as long songs, ambient builds and acoustics, pained shrieks and tremolo picked fury, there’s a poetic, avant garde aura. Whether it’s the French spoken words or the underlying post rock and jazz hues or the fuzzed out guitar tone and rich anti black metal bass, its forms a tapestry that’s darkly experimental but alluringly somber.

Subtle hues of Fleurety’s Mid Tid Skal Komme, dance amid more delicate  and maybe other 90s Norwegian avant garde black metal or even the likes of Agalloch as heard on 10 minute opener (after the intro), “Nouvelle” or more languid 9 minute “L’absolution”. The French allure throbs underneath when the band explores more scathing, discordant turns like “Maladie” or “Marcher sur le vide” with its loping funeral march conclusion. It’s both harmonic and atonal, sullen but harsh, and though it  isn’t quite the new era or wispier nice black metal a la  Alda, Woods of Desolation, Obsequiae and such, but certainly might have some appeal to that crowd if they were on Lexapro while at an art museum signified by instrumental closer”Luna Liquor”, ending the album perfectly with a clarinet laden despondency.

Le Domaines Des Hommes is a hard album to put down into succient words, but regardless of my vain efforts, it’s up there with Atten Ash‘s The Hourglass and Obsidian Tongue‘s A Nest of Ravens in the Throat of Time as young label’s best releases as the label continues to dig up expressive and depressive music across the globe.