Briqueville – IIII
Release Date: 3rd November 2023
Label: Pelagic Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Instrumental, Post-Metal, Doom.
FFO: Pothamus, Hemelbestomer, Tool.
Review By: John Newlands
Briqueville are part of the current prolific contemporary Belgian metal scene. They stand out as they do not fit into the extreme, black or hardcore background of their peers, they instead lean into instrumental, doom, drone and post-metal genres. Not only are they statistically different in music but also aesthetic, with the identities of the members being unknown as they wear black Nazgûl-robes and golden masks during rehearsals and performances (a practice that predates Ghost), which only adds to the spooky mystique of the band.
I first got into Briqueville somewhere between their 2017 release “II” and 2020 release “Quelle”. I particularly remember a night not long after the release of Quelle alone in my house, laying a wooden floor into the wee hours with only Briqueville for company. I binged their albums back to back at high volume, which made the boring task at hand quite pleasant and memorable. I also really enjoyed tuning into their live stream performance during COVID lockdown. It was something to really look forward to during those boring and dull days, and for these reasons (amongst others) it is needless to say that I have a very strong affinity for the band.
So I was very excited to hear that the band were coming with a new album in 2023 and couldn’t wait to get my ears on it. From the get go, I wasn’t disappointed. AKTE XVI is a slow burn starter, luring us into the dark, doomy brooding number that takes the listener into the spooky and mysterious world of Briqueville.
AKTE XVII picks up the pace and features some great hooks, chants and interesting synth work/ programming and a full vocal passage, not common in a Briqueville composition. It works great on the album and is one of the standout tracks for me.
AKTE XVIII is a true head bobber, opens with a great riff, super catchy and holds the listeners attention throughout its 8-min run time. It has a fantastic rhythmic section at its midpoint which almost feels like it’s the build up / break out in an EDM track, but it doesn’t, instead it gives way to a TOOL-esq guitar break-out passage leading the track in a different direction from what you first thought. It’s ends on a high note with the band going at full pace. It’s very well done and probably my favourite track on the album.
AKTE XIX is filed with chanting, acoustic guitar and drums and doesn’t really “do” too much, but is still essential to the structure of IIII (think Tools Eon Blue Apocalypse on Lateralus). This is a bridging track taking the listener from the last to the next track and serves its purpose well.
AKTE XX is the 12-min album closing opus, filled with all the classic Briqueville quirks – weird synth noises and spooky chants backing a somewhat melancholic guitar line which around midpoint settles into a quiet rhythmical section with use of percussion (hand drums etc) to set the listener into a meditative state. The track builds and builds until coming to a welcome end, with an effective crescendo that closes out the album in a pleasing fashion.
IIII flows really well, it is a well-thought-out and planned album structure and has a really familiar feel to it. I love the production, it works perfectly for the band. I’ve never noticed before how in some ways they are akin to TOOL, but for me, as a big TOOL fan, this isn’t a bad thing and I don’t feel they are trying to clone TOOL. It’s more like they have taken inspiration from them and their compositions to build their own “thing” and sound, that works for, and is only identifiable as Briqueville.
Although not breaking a huge amount of new ground on IIII, Briqueville have refined their sound and deliver with laser precision an album that I am sure I will be spinning throughout the rest of 2023 and into 2024. I’m waiting with bated breath to see where they go next.
(4.5 / 5)
