DISCLAIMER: The sole artist behind this project has been involved in some unsavory acts, but there has been no evidence that this specific person is a racist or believes in racist ideology, and the lyrics of this and his previous albums under the Sühnopfer moniker don’t reflect that either. That being said, I would be careful before buying this album.
A specific facet of Melodic Black Metal, known as Medieval Black Metal, emerged during the 2000s and 2010s. Characterized by the incorporation of baroque themes, hyper fast usually trem-based riffs, and lyrics hearkening back to a simpler time, this specific style is found mainly in the French microscene of Black Metal. Bands like Ferriterium, Véhémence, and Passéisme (although this one’s a technicality, since they’re Russian but perform in French) are all well-established acts who play this specific style extremely well. And then there’s Sühnopfer. A one-man project hailing from France, this artist, who has been a part of rather unsavory acts in the past (see disclaimer), has shed his past and now focuses entirely on Sühnopfer. I was blown away by the 2019 album Hic Regnant Borbonii Manes, and was wondering how a follow-up would sound. Nous sommes d’hier, the follow-up, sees Ardraos fully embracing and even doubling down on the baroque themes within.
This new approach and love of baroque themes makes itself known immediately in opening track “DSFR” with its classical guitar intro. These classical guitar motifs pop up throughout the course of the album, and they’re always a joy when they appear. The best example of these used effectively is album highlight “Pays d’allen”, which starts as a sole classical guitar before almost march-like drum fills join in, and then the song takes off into a whirlwind of chaotic, fast riffs. There’s a strangely triumphant sound to this album; rather than focus on melancholy, songs evoke the images of battles won and glory obtained. All of these songs are very good, but the closer is an unexpected, yet not unwelcome cover of a song by famous French pop artist Michel Polnareff. “Le bal des Laze” marks the first time Ardraos has utilized clean vocals in his songwriting, and they are pulled off very well. The main detraction from this album I could see being a turn off is the fact that Ardraos knows how to play very fast, and only stays at that speed for the entirety of the 55 minutes. This wasn’t a bothersome quality for me, however. I greatly enjoy this album. It feels like a worthy follow-up to a great release from the past decade, and I look forward to the next iteration of this project.
