Formed in 2008, Moonreich have carved out a name for themselves on the French black metal scene with full-length releases ‘Loi Martiale’ and ‘Terribilis est locus iste’. Now back with a third effort, ‘Pillars of detest’, the band recorded this demonic outpouring at Hybreed studios (Temple of Baal, seth etc…) and had it mastered by the legendary Magnus ‘Devo’ Andersson (Marduk, funeral mist etc…), and are steadfastly aiming to place themselves at the forefront of the French black metal movement. Atmospheric and dark, ‘pillars of detest’ is no easy ride, but there is a great deal of power and precision in Moonreich’s sound that gives them a very different feel from the rougher black metal bands of the Norwegian scene.
Opening with the atonal assault of ‘Ad Nauseam’, the band immediately set out their stall with a track that moves from mid-tempo grind to full-blooded attack via a gnarled, brooding section, all of which suggests a more progressive flavour to this band’s otherwise aggressively misanthropic approach. It’s an impressive opening gambit and it leads neatly into ‘believe and behead’, a track that swerves from sludgy opening to blast-beat fuelled nightmare in just a few seconds. Menace lurks in ‘long time awaited funeral’, an atmospherically charged track that opens with customary brutality only to devolve into a shimmering post-metal finale that highlights the myriad influences that lie at the heart of the album. Beautifully played, the melodic overtones add a sense of depth to proceedings that would be lost in a straightforward blast of earthen fury and when the instrumental ‘Sheitan’ emerges from the ashes with ponderous bass and a doomy atmosphere, it’s clear that Moonreich sequenced the album carefully to deliver a cohesive narrative experience that adds to the overall impact of the album.
Where ‘Sheitan’ ends in sub-sonic synth noise, ‘pillar of detest – world shroud’ leaps from the speakers with feral intensity, made all the more potent by the slow, hypnotic nature of its predecessor. A seven-minute epic, the band use the space to explore the boundaries of black metal, setting blast beats against icy riffing and guttural howls before shifting gear to unleash a rather more straight-forward mid-tempo grind. It’s an approach that works well, emphasizing the band’s latent power and it leads perfectly into the gruelling ‘all born sick’, a short, toxic blast of blackened fury that sears the listener. Another lengthy work, ‘freikorps’ is a masterwork, a thunderous piece of music that tears and gouges with molten fury as blast beats pile up under intricate guitar work played in a frenzy. That does not, however, take into account the menacing conclusion to the song as we slip into the dark territory of the horror movie soundtrack and when the album’s final track, death winged majesty emerges, it is with a creeping riff that recalls Satyricon at their most majestically evil, the riff sounding more like an invocation than the opening of a heavy metal track. At nine-minutes, it is the album’s longest and most complex work and it is a fitting end to a record that consistently surprises.
Fans of complex and, dare we whisper it, progressive black metal need look no further than the excellent Moonreich when it comes to finding their next fix. This French black metal crew are the real deal: capable, committed, passionate and relentless and ‘pillars of detest’ is an album that demonstrates their remarkable skill to the full. Epic, atmospheric and charged with the dark passions, ‘pillars of detest’ is a complex album that is well worth repeated explorations as the harrowing music slowly works its way to the core of your being.
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