Conifère – L’Impôt du Sang
April 11th, 2024
Black Metal
Independently Released
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Don’t let the stereotypes about Canada fool you. It’s not always a frozen wasteland up here. As I’m writing this the weather has hit a solid 40 degrees outside during the first proper heat wave of the year. Air conditioners are running. People are sweating. And in my miserable bucket of sweltering heat that is my bedroom I’m listening to one of the coldest records I’ve heard thus far. It might not be doing much to stave off the heat outside, but its certainly doing so from within the confines of my brain.
Conifère are a relatively newer band in the Quebec black metal scene. First emerging in 2019 the band would release a demo and a split with the band Sol Miracula in 2020 before going dormant amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024 the band reemerged with an absolute frostbitten masterwork of a record in L’Impôt du Sang. This record takes you on such an emotional journey through peaks and valleys of utter despair and triumphant joy that it’s hard to quite put into words. Featuring shades of blackened punk, post punk, and traditional French folk music, it’s exactly the kind of black metal that I adore listening to, and they do a damned good job of it.
Vocalist Cauchemar (French for “nightmare”), who also plays bass is neighbouring blackened post punk outfit Vespéral, takes total command of the microphone here. His wretched, high pitched screams soar above the glacial riffs with fervor, reminding me of the kind of wretched utterances one hears in the works of bands like Carpathian Forest, 1349, or even Immortal at times. Other times the vocals take on a bit more of an ethereal, chanting tone or will sing the melody along with or in the place of the lead guitars, which makes for a haunting addition to the already icy atmosphere.
The riffs from Nakkabre (also of Vespéral, Hazehound, and others) on the guitar as well as Martyr on bass are absolutely, positively out of this world. This is what happy black metal sounds like to me. A genre that is so often equated with sadness and misery is defied on this record as both stringsmen have managed to bring out the pure, rock n’ roll energy that makes this breed of black metal the very best in my eyes. Don’t get me wrong, as I alluded to earlier, the riff work here isn’t afraid to get mournful and grieving with it, but I do feel like a sense of triumphant joy that is associated with unconquerable winter landscapes and the majesty of nature is reflected perfectly in the guitar melodies here. On top of that, the soloing is absolutely ripping. “III – Le Grand Hiver” trots along as one of the most fun black metal songs I’ve heard in recent memory before Nakkabre busts out a straight up rock n’ roll, 80’s heavy metal-style solo that kicks everything into overdrive.
Drummer Garoth plays exactly what I want him to play on this record as well. Every beat feels perfectly placed to give this entire album a sense of punk attitude. All of the one-two, hardcore punk-style drum beats make this thing feel like you’re soaring above the Arctic permafrost on a frost drake in the light of the midnight sun while a blizzard rages below. Then, when the blast beats kick in, everything gets taken up an extra notch. The energy is palpable as I feel like my soul is being extracted from my body and is forced to mingle with starlight.
This record was was also recorded by Patrick McDowall of Spectral Wound fame, who also mixed and mastered this thing after the fact. McDowall’s work has earned a certain amount of prestige within the Canadian black metal world, and indeed the black metal world at large. Everything I’ve ever heard come from his studio has this authentic sound of truthfulness to it all. The guitars sound so victorious. The drums pop with vigor without sounding computerized at all. The vocals echo with a haunting presence. This thing just sounds damned good.
Conifère really surprised me with this one. From the unorthodox cover art which features beautiful shades of red and blue to the catchiness of the songwriting to the excellent production job, this album absolutely rules. Its easily one of the best black metal releases I’ve heard in recent memory, providing me with everything I’ve wanted from this genre on a single record. If you only listen to one black metal album this year, make it this one.
Final Verdict: 9/10
Awesome
Favourite Tracks:
“I – Liberte / II – Furia”
“III – Le Grand Hiver”
~ Akhenaten
Where Strides The Behemoth? 