I don’t want to spend half this review retelling Menace Ruine’s history and discography; our elder reviewers have done that successfully. I do, however, draw joy in remembering how ecstatic I was when Menace Ruine returned after eight long years with Nekyia. The mystical duo of Geneviève Beaulieu and S. De La Moth moved to the woods during their absence, but Nekyia proved that the woods were within them all along. After that comeback album, not only did we get a delicate companion ambient EP, but also Geneviève released her first solo folk album, which I covered in one of our non-metal articles, and it’s an album I still spin for my long walks.
Another Menace Ruine album was one of the last things I expected this autumn considering the long hiatus in between the last two full-lengths. Yet here I stand, once again teletransported to a grand cathedral of oak and stone. I ventured into this album wondering what type of vibe I could get from it.
Will it be bright and beautiful?
Yes, it will. For even though humanity tries to impose itself over the order of things, Nature will always win and thrive. This can be felt through meditative hymns that feel as vast as valleys rich with green and blue. Tracks like “Once A Ghost” consist of powerful walls of riffs alongside marching drums. With the druidic chants of Geneviève on top, I can imagine fans of slow atmospheric black metal a la Summoning noticing the ancient magic behind this music.
Will it be dark and claustrophobic?
Of course. As vast as valleys and planes can be, Mother Nature can still put us in our place and force us into terrifying caves, swamps and woods. “Courtship Dance” and “Chthonic Heart” are pummeling dirges in which the drones and low-tuned drums feel like the beating heart of a giant predator. These songs could easily fit into a spine-tingling folk horror movie soundtrack.
Will it be joyful, familiar and... danceable?
Ok, this was not in my bingo card for this album, but I stand corrected. I will repeat something I said when reviewing Geneviève’s solo work, Augury: Some of these melodies are just timeless. After going through the distorted shamanic dance that is “Through The Waterfall”, we are treated to the gorgeous “Let It Flow” (please notice how flawless that transition is), which feels like a heartfelt medieval psalm that has existed for centuries yet can only exist in this timeline. Still, no other track shocked me as much as “Mingled And One”. There’s a dark, deeply seductive energy that pulls me in and makes me want to shake my body at the rhythm of the catchy drumbeats as if it were a rave hidden deep in the woods. It’s all very folky, but the hypnotic drumming and synth add a psychedelic element that conjures visions of rituals and dances by the bonfire. And are those blastbeats? These have to be the fastest tempos Menace Ruine has used since Cult Of Ruins.
Will it be heart-wrenching?
You bet. I’ve always felt a cloak of melancholy that covers me when I listen to Menace Ruine. But there are two pieces that need to be highlighted due to how they break the mould a little. The longest song, “At The Mid-Moment Of The Night’s Dividing”, is purely instrumental for the first half. The album has had a lot of focus on the vocals up to this point, so it’s a nice change of pace to give full attention to those synths without drums or anything else. Just drawn-out, dreamy drones that are the true backbone of Menace Ruine. The somber organ-like sound feels like the ancient pulse from the soil. I could imagine fans of Anna Von Hausswolff eating this up right away. Then there is the final track, “Broken By Fate”, which truly grabbed me by the collar and threw me into a whirlpool of despair. It’s almost post-rock in its progression and climax, which is achieved by very intense drumming that sits far back in the mix so you feel that you are amidst a wild storm. If there is one song from this album that people need to experience, it is this one. The harrowing lyrics could not make its message any clearer. It is a haunting, and sadly very realistic, portrait of the current state of affairs. The accompanying video further cements the sinking feeling in my heart as I lament the nature of man.
The Color Of The Grave Is Green is an album that has many faces, and they are all breathtakingly beautiful. I hope my autumns will continue to be enriched by music of this kind.
“And soon you will drum alone in a forest
Of oak trees ready to fall
...Already falling”
