Viande – L’abime dévore les âmes
Release Date: 15th April 2022
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Dark/Atmospheric Death Metal, possibly Blackened.
FFO: Les Légions Noires, Incantation, Cruciamentum, Portal, Dead Congregation.
Review By: Paul Cairney
A few listens in to the debut album by French band Viande, I messaged the Bossman of Metal Epidemic advising him that this album was ‘filthy’ and that it made me feel, ‘claustrophobic’. This was not a criticism, in fact, it was a compliment.
L’abime dévore les âmes, ‘The Abyss Devours Souls’ being the English translation, is an album that harks back to the glory days of when Death Metal albums lived and breathed in an atmosphere of its own creation. As a result, this album will not appeal to all. It has a truly nasty production, reminiscent of old school French Les Légions Noires bands such as Mütiilation. The difference is that this production, and its uncleanliness nature, is obviously a conscious choice.
Every single minute of the albums 42-minute run time is as tense as the last. Viande do not let up, they do not relent in their drive to punish the listener in the most pleasant of ways. If you buy into L’abime dévore les âmes, you are treated to a sublime piece of what is described as ‘Dark/Atmospheric’ Death Metal. I personally would describe it as blackened Death Metal, but as I usually subscribe to the 4 genres of Metal (trademark pending), I would also accept I was wrong.
These are the good points, and they are incredibly positive. The downside is also one of the positives. The album is a punishing listen, with no release. It is unfeasibly intense, with the upshot that you will have to be in the correct frame of mind to listen to it. L’abime dévore les âmes is not an album that will make you punch the air in unadulterated joy! You will get the necessary head bang moments, you will strum the strings of your air guitar, but it will be at a cost.
It is entirely possible that L’abime dévore les âmes will let the abyss sneak up on you and devour your soul. If this happens, you will find an album that invades your conscious and find its own dark space in the darkest recess of your mind.
(3.5 / 5)
