Folkfuck folie

This record got me interested in black metal again after 15 years. It's absolutely excellent. I'd place it up there with Burzum's first one, Grotesque's "Incantation" and Bathory's "The Return".

Peste Noire's first record was great, but parts of it were just too nice. Folkfuck Folie is to that one what punk rock was to progressive metal during the late seventies. It's gritty, dirty, desperate and full of emotion. It's also musical in a way that black metal seldom is. And there's so much black magic to creating an album like this. So many things can go wrong. This one has it all: the production has the exact balance between dirt and beauty that is the mark of the classics, great performance, beautiful songs and, most important, emotion.

In Morbid Mag #5 there was an interview with Trey Azagthogh, where he claimed that Morbid Angel were just as technical as any other band, they just managed to keep it brutal, because they didn't leave room for the technical stuff, they managed to squeeze it in anyway. That was of course bullshit, because no one can claim that Altars of Madness is particularly brutal, but Folkfuck Folie lives up to that sentiment: it's brutal as can be, while still being technical where it sees the need to be.

While I see this as the next step from early Burzum, it's more complex and chaotic. What makes me draw the line from Burzum to Peste Noire is that they were original in a way that's hard to grasp after the fact, after you've taken in the epigones. Peste Noire manages to take almost the same huge step away from their influences. You could say that they show a sense a humour in their music, while still being really dirty, mean and ugly.

There are a few highlights on this album for me, but the sum is a whole lot greater than the parts. That particular aspect reminds me a bit of Bathory's second album, which didn't really have the same strong songs as their other albums, but was always my favorite because it had this evil, diabolical feeling to it. Folkfuck Folie doesn't have the same niceness as the first album, but there's just so much more substance crammed into it.

And yes, I have been listening to a lot more post-93 black metal since I found this album, but there's not much that's even close. This is a standout album from a very special band.

One can see on the traycard, upon removing the CD from its case, the words ‘Folklore d’égout’ (Folklore from the Sewers). Upon listening to the introductory track ‘L’envol du grabataire (Ode à Famine)’, I can understand quite well why the artist wrote that. Indeed, it sounds just like a lunatic that comes crawling out the sewers. The following tracks unfold on the same path of decadence and vileness with insane riffing and deranged vocals. Folkfuck Folie does indeed have a certain ‘thrash metal’ aspect to it, but this is definitely not a negative aspect. It rather represents the whole concept of dementia very well.

I’m quite surprised to see that other people who have reviewed this album claim that it « lacks inspiration ». This album still has the same Peste Noire essence to it as ‘La sanie des siècles – panégyrique de la dégénérescence’; instead of just copying the formula used on the first album, Famine appears to have chosen to explore a slightly different path. Don’t get me wrong here: the riffs, songwriting and execution are still impeccable. You simply will not find the many of the ‘epic’ passages that can be found in the song ‘Phalènes et pestilence’ for example. Furthermore, each member clearly knows how to handle his instrument. In fact, the guitar parts in Folkfuck Folie are quite technical for what black metal is accustomed to.

I must also emphasize on the lyrics, which are another highlight of this album. It is a tremendous asset if you are able to understand French since the lyrics are a big part of what Peste Noire do. On the total of 10 texts, half are written by Famine, and the rest are taken from various French authors, mainly from the medieval period (these texts are in Old French). Cleary Famine’s texts share the same spirit as those of the accursed poets of the 19th century. Not your typical illiterate black metal lyrics here.

And what can be said of Famine’s decision to include an Antonin Artaud clip? Brilliant. I can already see people frown and say ‘What the hell?’ upon hearing this clip for the first time. If you ask me it fits perfectly with the primitive madness that is found throughout the entire album.

To summarize, this album rises above the countless mediocre bands in the black metal genre and is a testament that black metal can be brought to new levels of excellency.

Ok folkfucks here is Peste Noire! If you'd like to know right off what these blacksters are playing well it's a stinking hybrid of rock, heavy metal and folk. In many ways it's interesting, just not black metal by any standard. They convey a good deal of that "French" sound, the one which is bred within the decaying backalleys of the centuries.

As soon as the album begins you realize you're in for some terrible production, the key ingredient to black metal! A stormy background ensues where from a raspy street beggar of the renaissance calls out to you with his rusty lute. He babbles for the distance of a city block, kicking stray cats and coughs a bit of his tumorous phlegm towards you through his half worn abscessed teeth and sends you off. As you make your way through the vague smoke filled province you hear his rancid cackling echoing at your footsteps. A forewarning of the hallucinogenic trance which you are about to endure, of corpses, soothsayers and the pyres of black death.

There is no real way to describe or compare such a band as to me there is nothing like it. If you are familiar with the French scene then you'll start to grasp a bit of what's going on here. They take the dirt and scum of bands like Mutiilation and smear the black vibe into a cauldron of folk laden heavy metal. I'll say the real highlight here is the bass work, everything else just festers in the the scenery. The bass however is very pronounced and pushes this whole abortion through the drape. It is played proficiently, often times implementing it's own melody. It's as the gargantuan paving the way for it's demented party through the slums.

If you're open minded and have heard your fair share of black metal, then most likely you'll get a kick out of this.

This is what happens when a band realizes they are great. You see if you listen to earlier Peste Noire albums - you will hear absolute, complete black metal brilliance. I would give "La Sanie.." 100% without any hesitation, I really would. Peste Noire play a beautiful, sick, angry, emotional type of black metal. It's no wonder that serious black metal collectors go crazy for this band and all their limited releases. Unfortunately, Peste Noire have realized they've reached this status. What has happened here is sad, it really is, because it threatens the high opinion I have of this band.

Introduction aside, this album can be described in one word; formulaic. It's easy to see that the band members realized what made their other albums so brilliant, and have replicated them into new songs. Where "La Sanie.." superseded other albums in it's complete honesty, emotion and fierceness - this album sounds rehearsed - as though the band members are tired of expressing these thoughts, and now they're just running through the motions to release another album.

The production is similar to the Lorraine Rehearsal - fairly well produced for "raw" black metal. The vocals I think are different from other bands - they are far better executed on earlier releases, but they somewhat suffice on this album.

Musically speaking, this is not much different from their last full length release - and that's the problem, there has been no progression. I would excuse this if it were released as a B-Sides or "Tracks that didn't really make it" type release - but to package this as a new album is a bit insulting.

If this is the first Peste Noire you hear - and you are dispirited because it sounds empty and vacuous in it's attempts at rage and melancholy, try and get your hands on the "La Sanie.." album, heck, any of their older work and you will be impressed I'm sure.

French bands and Canadians bands have always interested me. I'm not exactly sure why this is so. I guess I think it's because they are pretty good musicians. Peste Noire definitely are no exception, in their career they have released some pretty good and interesting music. However this album is not. The problem with this album is that the whole thing is shoddily done and seems to be quite lacking.

The production is very raw, this usually wouldn't be a problem but it is here. The raw production definitely doesn't suit the music they are playing. In fact its quite detrimental to the music but it kind of makes the guitars sound more scratchy and screechy. After awhile this really starts to grate on your nerves and you want to turn the music off. I couldn't listen to this album in one sitting because of this. However, it wasn't the only reason.

The guitar riffing overall is quite dry and boring. With most songs, they start off OK, but the sheer repetitiveness hurts. It's not long before the riffs really start to get boring and the repetitiveness really starts to become annoying. There are really no long epic riffs or anything like that. Overall, the riffs seem poorly composed and thought out. You'd think a band which released La Sanie des siècles - Panégyrique de la dégénérescence, would at least have some quality riffing here, but nope, this album's completely devoid of it. A prime example of this is Condamné À La Pondaison (Légende Funèbre).

The drumming isn't really what I'd call quality either. No fast intense blast beats or interesting drum solos (emphasise on interesting). Just pretty average straight forward drumming. Sure, it gets the job done but it could have been better.

The vocals on this album seriously suck. Not CoF bad, but still pretty damn bad anyway. They are raspy, bitchy, screechy and are sometimes really annoying. Sure they suit the distortion and the guitars but they really degrade the album. I'd much rather good vocals than shit vocals which suit the music.

This album really was disappointing. Overall the feel I get from this album is if it was rushed, sloppy and poorly executed and thought out. It's really hard to believe that the same band released La Sanie des siècles - Panégyrique de la dégénérescence which by comparison is absolutely stunning. Maybe it's so poor because they released an album last year, so they'd be really pressed for time. If this is so, then they should spend more time making a good album, rather than rushing an album and releasing a very mediocre, almost bad effort.

Conclusion: The above is recommended for download only.

Peste Noire has impressed me with every CD they have released up until this point. The Lorraine Rehearsal LP was absolutely amazing, filled with atmosphere and real emotion. La Sanie des siècles - Panégyrique de la dégénérescence, was also had the same raw emotion, melding perfectly crafted guitar solo's and piercing shrieks into their songs. Then came this; Folkfuck Folie, a name which really does suit this 'folly'.

Where to start, well the passionate and memorable solo's that are a core part of Peste Noire's sound are GONE. Nearly every song on their last full length release had an amazing solo that not only added to the song but really gave the song memorability. PN’s solo’s were never made up of bullshit nonsense chromatic wank that a lot of bands throw in today, just for the sake of having a solo. The solo's used in the last CD were extremely well thought out and put together; they were memorable and just all around beautiful. Where are they on Folkfuck Folie? Nope not on it. Another note, the vocals are also way toned down, reminding me of Noktu’s work in Celestia. The horrifying and terrible (in a great way) shrieks from prior albums are gone in place of a more midrange drone.

Next is the length of the songs. They are too short. I have nothing against short song's but in this case, just as the song is really getting going, it is over. A lot of them are so short that they meld into each other and they sound so alike that I can't tell when one song has stopped and another started. I'm not going to go into writing about each song in depth because I don't think it is worth it, since there is not that much of a difference between them. There are some good tracks that retain that typical Peste Noire sound, those being, the ‘ambient’ tracks with haunting sounds of torture, cold blowing wind, and creaking trees. Though these may be good, they do not make up at all for the lack of inspiration in the guitar composition.

I just need to make mention of the track Extrait Radiophonique D'Antonin Artaud. What the fuck is this? It is a 57 second clip of banging (most likely a crucifixion or some form of turture) and a man screaming in the foulest way I have ever imagined. These aren't the incredible shrieking vocals that will send chills up your spine, they just are an annoyance, utter shit. Every time this track plays I lower the volume because it is so aggravating. I have no problem with these kind of tracks, they have pulled it off tastefully in the past, but this is just laughable.

I've listened to this CD five times already, hoping with each listen it would grow on me and I would find more to like about it, but it just is not there. Had I listened to this CD prior to listening to their earlier works I would have thought it was pretty unique and a worthwhile listen but, having already heard their prior masterpieces, Folkfuck Folie pales in comparison. It is repetitive, lacking in both direction and inspiration. The feeling and passion of their past works is fading, along with the amazing guitar solo’s that were a core part of this bands sound. Even at that it is not a totally worthless CD, it is far better than MANY of today’s black metal bands, though I hope this isn't the path the band continues down in the future.

Final note: The reworked tracks from the Lorraine Rehearsal LP are garbage as well. I was totally disappointed with the lack of inspiration and thought put into these songs.