In the last five years following their debut full-length album, Bagarre Générale’s output has been frustratingly sparse. After entering the scene with a fresh, devastating sound rooted in the brooding depths of doom and post-metal, the instrumental quartet from Bordeaux left fans of the debut record craving and famished, releasing no more than a single track on a split release in 2014.
To these patient fans I am glad to say that their wait is finally over and has finally paid off. As a sophomore record, Tohu-Bohu is a close follow-up to the bands’ previous efforts. The record picks up where the band left off, with some slow, gloomy compositions backed up with the remarkably effective addition of trombones and a synthesiser that add a majestic, cinematic twist to the bands’ somber sound.
Kicking off with a slow, steady start, the band slowly but surely lead us into depths of the dark, twisted nether-realms on ‘L’Usage des Mondes’, an awe-inspiring, fourteen minute funeral march through the gates of Pandaemonium. Thanks to the records’ production, the band is able to shape a deeper, more detailed sound, complete with soaring soundscapes and cavernous resonances that crawl under your skin like on the openers’ tense, eerie bridge or on ‘Vertigo’’s gritty intro. The band eventually gives out up a bit of more punch in the following tracks, namely ‘Promenade’ and its brisk and downright brutal crashes that follow up an otherwise steady powerful build up and release song structure. Closing on a number at the height of grandeur, the record ends with its noisiest and most epic number, a dissonant and grandiose finale that finishes on a high note to the sounds of strident feedback and gravelly frequencies.
With its 34 minute runtime, Tohu-Bohu’s three tracks do not run a second longer than is necessary, making for a concisely crafted and poignant sophomore release that will keep you hitting the replay button on your music player. Once again, Bagarre Générale have delivered excellence with a sophomore record that will leave you mesmerised by its grandeur.
