MONARQUE - Lys Noir (2013)
Genre: Métal Noir Québécois
Label: Sepulchral Productions

Rating: 8.5/10

The black metal scene of Québec is, while relatively small compared to some European scenes, quite rich, and the region has produced some of the most beloved releases I have heard in the last few years. Forteresse, Gris, Sombres Forêts, Miserere Luminis, and Neige Éternelle are but a few examples, all of whom are coincidentally on Sepulchral Productions, a label I have come to know and love. Out of the burgeoning Québec scene, a place where stellar releases are not unusual, and quality over quantity seems to be the rule, Monarque is easily the band that evokes the strongest passion out of me. Monarque is a one-man band formed in 2003, whose sole member uses the band name as a pseudonym. In years prior, Monarque (the man) has shown himself to be a very capable composer and multi-instrumentalist, producing fine material in the first two full-lengths, Fier Hérétique (2007) and Ad Nauseam (2009), to say nothing of the demos, EPs, and splits that pepper his discography. This brings me to his latest full-length effort, Lys Noir, which was a highlight of 2013 for me. 

Lys Noir's first track, "L'appel de la nuit," begins with a brief sound clip of spoken word in French, and then propels the listener immediately into a blast section with a quality tremolo riff of the variety that Monarque is known for. The end of the first track has an acoustic section that leads into a really powerful ending, at around 5:50 in the song. This ending has a very emotive and moving quality to it that, for me personally, has come to represent the apex of what Monarque is artistically capable of in terms of giving some serious goosebumps to the listener. The second track, "Vigor Mortis," has a more "evil" vibe to it, and pays homage to the Scandinavian black metal scene in a way that isn't completely boring, which is indeed a challenge these days. The second to last track, "Au seuil des ténèbres," has a similar vibe, though it's worth stating that "Au seuil..." is also a cover of the band Frozen Shadows, a now-defunct black metal band from Montréal that was mostly active in the late 90s. Though I've never heard the original, this seemed to be done well, and proved itself a wise addition in that it blends extremely well into the album. I had actually overlooked the fact that this was a cover until right before writing this review, which was due to the fact that it didn't state on the track listing on the back of the physical copy I own that it was a cover. Closer inspection revealed that on the insert, he does give credit, so shame on me. Anyway, the cover fits in with the material well enough that, for many months, I had never felt compelled to question the assumption that it was an original Monarque composition.

The third track, "La quintessence du mal," is among my favorites on the album. This song seems to have a very uplifting vibe to it, and I really came to like it's atmosphere. In good Monarque fashion, he uses some very thoughtful layering of guitar tracks, each playing very simple parts, that come together and create a beautiful whole. What struck me about this song is that, besides the solo, it's very uncomplicated. However, the emotive content is fierce, and the planning clever, and that's how it found itself as one of my favorites on this release, though perhaps not my definitive favorite. And yes, there is a nice tapping solo towards the end, executed with proficiency. 

The fifth track, "Mes condoléances," is very blast-heavy, and has a very nice solemn-sounding tremolo progression that has a droning, almost ambient quality about it. This is in some contrast to prior releases, and I would not be surprised to hear people say that they believe Lys Noir to be the most "ambient"-sounding Monarque release yet, although this is all within the confines of black metal, making such a statement potentially misleading. Soon after the five-minute mark, the constant blasting ends, giving way to an ambient section. Out of the ambiance comes a slower section which the song ends on. This part has some really tasteful bass work. Nothing too technical, but a bit of playfulness and prominence that I found a very nice touch. This is definitely one of my favorite songs, just for the excellence of the tremolo riffs and the indulgence of the sea of well-executed blast beats.

The last track, "Comme les vers; sous la bannière du lys noir," is a good song, but does find itself somewhat eclipsed by the more standout tracks on the album. I suppose it is a somewhat weak ending, but only due to the strength with which the album opens and the way in which the momentum is more or less continuous throughout. I would not call this a filler track, but I personally didn't find it as compelling as the rest of the album, barring the interlude track, "Solitude."

The production here is a great plus. Each instrument has just enough clarity and presence; the drums don't overpower the guitar or vice versa with any of the instruments. There is something somehow airy about the production when compared to previous efforts by Monarque, a slight tinge of reverb that permeates all the tracks, lending also to the previously mentioned impression that this album is somehow more "ambient" than other Monarque releases. The guitar tone and drum levels sound perfect as far as I'm concerned. The bass's placement within the mix is also very nice; not too overbearing, yet still audible, which allows it to shine in several spots. I like the vocals, level-wise and how they sound, though I'll admit that within black metal I sort of threw out all vocal standards after I got into Silencer's Death - Pierce Me.

A significant change also, that I perhaps should have mentioned earlier in the review, is the addition of a drummer, Bardunor, to Monarque's lineup for this album. Although Metal Archives claims he's been in the band since 2008, I've always been pretty sure that Monarque did the drums on the other two full-lengths, and that this is the first album with any other person handling the percussion. I could be wrong, but I'm fairly confident. Either way, Bardunor's drumming is a real pleasure to listen to. Not that earlier Monarque releases had bad percussion, and in fact simplicity in many instances aided them, but this features much more mature drumming and a fine-tuned finesse that was a real joy to absorb.

My complaints about the album are few, but I have a couple. There's organ samples on a few of the tracks, which were pretty cool for the first few listens of the album, but after that they started to seem silly at times. There's something vaguely cartoon-ish about the cover art, but it's not that bad, and I'm admittedly knit-picking by bringing that up. Not all the tracks held my attention with equal measure, the first, third, and fifth were exceptional, while the remainder were only good or very good. And lastly, the length. At 37:05, it's barely more than a half hour long, and because it's a very good album I found myself selfishly wanting more. 

All in all, one of my favorite releases of 2013, would obviously recommend. 

Sepulchral Productions has the CD available, and Productions Hérétiques has the cassette.