Band:	Neige Et Noirceur
Album:	Hymnes de la montagne noire
Style:	Ambient black metal
Release date:	November 2011

01. Hymne I - La grande faucheuse ouvre la marche
02. Hymne II - Neige Noire
03. Hymne III - Là où demeure la sorcière des neiges
04. Hymne IV - L'aube des magiciens
05. Hymne V - Le chemin de la montagne noire
06. Les Bûcherons [Bérurier Noir cover]

Neige Et Noirceur is a one-man Canadian occult black metal project formed back in 2002 by Spiritus, a metal noir Québécois VIP member, and he's back at it again with a new full-length - sprinkled with a somewhat welcoming atmosphere, and slightly less influenced by ambient soundscapes compared to its predecessors.

So ya, it's not the guy from Alcest with a friend. The band name translates to "snow and blackness". Which is entirely appropriate.

Hymnes de la montagne noire is all any black metal fan could ask for, really. It casts a grim shadow over the listener, drawing you in like a moth to flame, only for the light to go out at the last minute before you find yourself choking on fumes. Spiritus is only there to watch you struggle for breath, and as he makes his way toward you - writhing on the cold floor in a coughing fit - the last bit of hope you have is shattered with a stern kick to the ribs. You're left broken, asphyxiated... a soon-to-be rotting corpse among hundreds in a gloomy cellar.

The music chills the bones, unrefined and grotesque, seeping through layers of clothing as if you were naked in the midst of a raging snowstorm. Oppressive, monotonous riffs settle in and work their magic, descending the black mountains of the North to drag you away from all that is pleasant and joyous, pure and innocent, colorful and radiant. Barbaric, raspy shrieks pierce even the thickets hoods, ripping your head back by the air and forcing you, wide-eyed, to listen. Spiritus knows how to capture his prey, and he does it with the aid of the coldest magics.

What really gives this album a boost in the sound department is the bouncing from Burzum to Darkspace to Leviathan, all the while maintaining a distinct metal noir touch. It embodies all the typical cliches that black metal is renowned for: grim, raw, frostbitten, occult, national pride, and history-themed lyrics. Not to mention some seriously epic riffs, as heard in "Hymne IV".

The entire album clocks in at about 45 minutes with six songs... meaning - you guessed it - these aren't your average grindcore songs. They're almost monolithic, taking their time waking up from the depths of the coldest waters, floating to the top and bursting through the icy surface, eventually reaching the skies above and casting a shadow over the entire human race.

It's only then that you realize we're all in the gloomy cellar. Hymnes de la montagne noire is the choking smoke that will fill our lungs in less than an hour... and Spiritus will be there to kick you in the ribs at the end of it all, a sardonic smile sewn across his face.