Band:	Messaline
Album:	In Coda Venenum
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	2009
A review by:	Jeff

01. Espèce d'Icone
02. Le Bûcher Des Vanités
03. L'infirme Amant
04. Toujours Plus Bas
05. Souffler Dans le Cul De Lucifer
06. Fin de Régne
07. Nougat Noir
08. Zéle De Poulet
09. Ecarte-Les
10. Tragic Circus
11. In Cauda Venenum

"In Coda Venenum" is the third album of Messaline, a French combo who plays some kind of mix between Hard and Heavy. Even if the band is not born in the 80's - 90's, the French bands of that period seems to be the main influences of our four guys who use to play this kind of music even if we're in the 00's now? This is just a matter of taste, "In Coda Venenum" can be ok if you like this kind of music but also terrible if you cannot stand it? Personally I'm not a fan but I found however some good things in this release so let's talk about it now!

Strangely, I found the best like the worst in this release? Well let's be a bit more specific, I think that "In Coda Venenum" is a good album for the old school Heavy Metal French scene and the ones who like this music but it's also a bit rotten for someone who knew a musical evolution with time... I mean, I'm not really into this kind of music now and I have a lot of problems when I listen to it? However, if I have to be honest I cannot say that it's bad in the genre but it's too cliché (lyrics like music) to be attractive for me? On the other hand, I like the fact that the riffs are aggressive and more in the vein of Killers than all the other Heavy Metal French bands who still live in the 80's? "In Coda Venenum" has good thrashy riffs sometime and the album is aggressive and violent. Sure this is not Thrash but this is not so too nice too and that's probably the point which saves this album (with someone like me at least?). Yes, "In Coda Venenum" is outdated but the band is not bad and has some good ideas. Damn with some modernity it could be really better?

In a matter of production, "In Coda Venenum" is well done. The sound is good and the performance of the musicians is more than correct! I'm not a fan of the voice of Eric Martelat but at least this is unique and that's a good point. It will depend of your own tastes obviously but if you like old school French Heavy, this album is good in my opinion and produced/played by good musicians.

I'm sorry, I have to say that I'm not really convinced by this release? But this is only my point of view and the one of someone who cannot listen to old school French Heavy Metal anymore without seeing a pile of clichés and a really kitsch music in the end? On the other hand, I'm quite sure that a lot of nostalgic will like this release because even if the recipe is already known, at least with have powerful music and good songs (in the genre of course) in the end. "In Coda Venenum" is recommended to all people who still listen to Satan Jokers and Vulcain and believe that their sons are still active in the scene?