Band:	Hyrgal
Album:	Serpentine
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	October 2017

01. I - L'Appel
02. II - Mouroir
03. III - Till
04. IV - Représailles
05. V - Aux Diktats De L'Instinct
06. VI - Rite
07. VII - Etrusca Disciplina

Hey, do you like Black Metal? Do you like French Black Metal? Well, mon amie, read further!

Hyrgal are a black metal band that were founded over a decade ago, opened for Wolves In The Throne Room and others before going into hibernation. They have spent the current decade or so in the grim and frostbitten freezer, adjacent to the kvlt ice cubes and Green Frost Giant frozen peas after creator/founder as well as guitarist/vocalist Clément Flandrois was offered the axe-slinging job full-time with Svart Crown.

So, recently reawakened some 11 years after their founding, their debut Serpentine has been released by LADLO. Serpentine was inspired by the power, fascination and even fear of their alpine landscape home.

The album shares a duality with their mountainous backdrop. Calm and tranquil beauty whilst gazing at the snowcapped mountains majestic? OH FUCK, AVALANCHE! Run for your lives!

Avanlanchian? Avalanchean? Er Avalanche-like is a good way to describe the music when it gets going. If not for me playing along with the artist's inspiration, I'd have likened it to being, say, unpleasantly sucked into a black hole. To a certain extent it reminds me of their Alpine neighbors, Darkspace. At least during the blistering segments of tracks like, "IV - Represailles". Howled vocals around frantic guitar lines.

They do also showcase some slower and midpaced pieces that build a bit. "VII - Etrusca Discipline" takes it time carefully developing while "V - Aux Diktats De L'instinct" almost has a bit of a black'n'roll vibe to one of the primary riffs.

The biggest thing with this album, for me, is that while I've enjoyed it for (far too) long while trying to get motivated/inspired to pound out words, it's a bit like modern Behemoth for me. I enjoy listening to it. It's swell. It's fast. It's varied. I like the execution. I like the production. I like the album, but that's it. When it's over it doesn't really stick.

For lack of better words, I've popped it into the black metal equivalent of the dreaded "Friend Zone". While it doesn't give me a throbbing erection like some of the bevvy of intriguing beauties LADLO has sent me, I'd never say no to hanging out and going bowling or getting a beer with it a couple times a week.

So yeah, on that note, maybe it's time to close this review out before readers want to scrape their eye sockets clean with steel wool?

In the meantime, feel free to get your Serpent(ine) on here via Bandcamp and decide for yourself.