Band:	Sordide
Album:	Ainsi Finit Le Jour
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	October 25, 2024
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Des Feux Plus Forts
02. Nos Cendres Et Nos Râles
03. Le Cambouis Et Le Carmin
04. Sous Vivre
05. Banlieues Rouges
06. La Poésie Du Caniveau
07. Ainsi Finit Le Jour
08. La beauté Du Désastre
09. Tout Est La Mort

Sordide have stripped black metal back to its very core, unleashing their most raw, dirty, and savage attack on us yet.

Sordide are a relatively unknown trio on the French black metal scene. They formed back in 2014 and currently have 5 full-length releases to their name, including this latest offering Ainsi Finit Le Jour. The trio consists of founding duo Nemri (vocals/drums) and Nehluj (vocals/guitars), and Ian, who recently replaced Nebehn as bassist in 2023. The French black metal scene is known particularly for bands that have a tendency for delving into avant-garde and dissonant territories that are more obscure than that which focuses on the melodic or traditional aspects of black metal. Sordide are one of the few bands in the scene that have not only focused heavily on the latter, opting for a traditionally raw and hypnotic 2nd wave approach, but have also introduced many modern influences and a few experimental touches, carving out a path in their discography where no two albums sound the same.

Does Ainsi Finit Le Jour follow suit? Well, in a way, yes it does; there's certainly a lot going on during its hefty 53-minute runtime. "Des feux plus forts" starts things off short but not so sweet, meaning it's anything but sweet. Instead, it's raw, crusty, traditional black metal with outrageously twisted, dissonant tremolos, furious blast-beats, and aggressive, diabolical, desperate shrieks. The following song, "Nos cendres et nos râles", takes things to a whole new level. This is the longest track featured at just under 9 minutes in length and is simply a raw and aggressive combination of crust punk and traditional 2nd wave black metal. However, the length of the track does seem a touch too long due to its overly repetitive structure in the later stages.

From here, things only get more intriguing. Not only is the production incredibly raw and edgy, but the whole style is almost stripped back to the roots of where black metal all began. It's extremely ferocious and full of devilish attitude, from aggressive punkish shrieks of utter desperation to ultra-rapid blast-beats, and ferociously hypnotic to traditionally melodic tremolos. Here you'll hear glimpses of both 1st and 2nd wave black metal, from the likes of Darkthrone and Mayhem to Venom, Celtic Frost, and Bathory. However, don't be fooled into thinking of this as another shot at reminiscing the original roots of black metal entirely, as the song "Banlieues rouges" in particular takes another direction, being a remarkably groovy and energetic headbanger that seems to hit you out of the blue. Another highlight would be "La beauté du désastre", the second song being above the 8-minute mark, particularly for its dark atmospheric passage, where the pulsating bass lines and dark hypnotic guitar work leads to one of the most memorable parts of the entire album.

Overall, Ainsi Finit Le Jour is Sordide's most raw, filthy and savage attack yet. It's a no-nonsense slab of traditional black metal stripped back to its very core with an old-school crust punk attitude. Don't expect a modern, crystal clear production here, and there's no epic symphonic orchestrations, no cosmic-themed atmospheric soundscapes, and no quirky dissonant experimentation going on. And, despite its few groovy moments, it's far from a non-stop total headbanger. Sordide aren't one of the most well known acts in the French black metal scene, and it's unlikely they'll ever be placed under the same bracket as Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, and Seth. Instead, like many others, they'll likely remain in the dark, shadowy underground, only for those few who wish to delve deep enough into the hidden depths to find them.