(((O))) Review: Délétère – Songes D’Une Nuit Souillée

The Québécois black metal scene has continued to flourished as we continue through the new millennium, despite (although in some cases probably because of) many confusing a fierce sense of pride over their ever-diminishing culture with more nefarious right-wing politics. Over the course of the last fifteen or so years, Délétère have built a name for themselves as one of the most ferocious bands on the circuit, embracing both the Scandinavian roots of the genre as well as evolving technology and tastes to create a sound that is blistering in its intensity, and compelling in its listening.

Album number three, Songes D’Une Nuit Souillée, shows another big leap forward for the expanding six-piece, the density of the entire record beginning to match the rapid pace with which they fly through it. Interesting to note that this time around, all of them have writing credits for most tracks, rather than just Thorleïf or Atheos; this new input of ideas ensures the record retains a vibrancy that keeps it from becoming too one dimensional, and marks it out from their previous work.

Whilst tracks like ‘Sacre De La Perversion’ and the imperious ‘Le Labour Des Chairs’ expound the excellence of their pure black metal malignance, Songes D’Une Nuit Souillée is not flat out for the whole ride. ‘Sonata Impudicitiae’ sits beautifully in the middle, a morose piano piece that not only breaks up any hint of monotony, but adds to the pervading bleak atmosphere deftly.

Délétère might not have conjured up the most revolutionary record of the year; however Songes D’Une Nuit Souillée is amongst the best of the genre to emerge for a good while, one that finds all the right pieces and puts them in all the right places. This is no mean feat, ensuring this is one deserving of repeated listens.