First Fragment – Gloire Éternelle

First Fragment – Gloire Éternelle
Release Date: 29th October 2021
Label: Unique Leader Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Technical Death Metal
FFO: Virvum, The Ritual Aura, Alkaloid, Fractal Universe.
Review By: Trina Julian Edwards

The wait is almost over for the new album from First Fragment, Québécois tech death virtuosos. In the five years since their critically-acclaimed debut, Daesin, First Fragment have perfected their unique sound, expertly demonstrated on their latest offering, Gloire Éternelle. With aggressive vocals by David AB, flamenco-inspired, counterpoint guitarwork by Phil Tougas and Nick “Thriller” Miller, slapping fretless bass by Dominic “Forest” Lapointe, and frenetic percussion by Nicholas “Le Fou” Wells, First Fragment has gifted listeners with another epic performance.

The title track, Gloire Éternelle, begins with swelling chords backed by the calming sounds of the ocean. This is a beautiful lead-in to an acoustic flamenco section that kicks into a spicy groove with tricksy percussive elements. From there, we’re dropped straight into a typical techy speed run with some dueling bass and guitar action before being slapped with a little funk, just to keep things interesting.

Right on its heels is Solus, which is a bright and lively banger that bleeds frenetic energy with its wildly-moving neoclassical guitar and bass lines. La Veuve & Le Martyr is a fantastic follow-up with more of that funky slap-bass and jazzy hi-hat before bursting into a sweet little groove. There are the usual speedy, techy riffs typical of First Fragment, but this track has also got some killer swing to it.

Next up is Pantheum, with face-melting intensity and heavy baroque vibes à la Vivaldi. De Chair Et De Haine begins with a leisurely-paced Spanish influenced intro, but get ready for big 80s energy with that whammy and vibrato. Both neoclassical and traditional death metal grooves abound, but we couldn’t do without those techy riffs and speed runs. This track highlights a gorgeous bass solo, followed by more shredding leads before returning to the Spanish style for the outro. Calming rain sounds take the listener from De Chair Et De Haine right into the beautiful J.S. Bach instrumental, Sonata En Mi Mineur. It starts right off with a modern take on an 80s glam metal solo, then drops into a steady flamenco flow. The piece ends with portentous chords, but ties in the rain sounds from the intro with added thunder and bird sounds for that forest-like ambiance. 

Ataraxie is a full force assault with blast beats galore, duelling bass and guitar shredding, and more of that tasty whammy. After careening through over four minutes of rhythmic changes, this wild ride slightly decelerates into a flowing acoustic flamenco section in tandem with the bass and electric guitars. The frenetic pace picks up again before slamming to an abrupt stop. Along comes Soif Brûlante to soothe your soul with its post-punk jangly guitars before kicking it back up into high gear for another couple of rounds of speedy, techy runs, epic guitar solos, and drums furiously pounding away in the background. 

Clocking in at almost 19 minutes long, In’el is a beast of a song. Ponderous piano chords and a sweeping guitar lead are followed by an intense bass-driven groove, lively flamenco sections, and epic solos sprinkled with enough noodling to appease the most devout tech death fans.The final track, Mort Éphémère, bookends the album with the same lovely flamenco acoustic piece from Gloire Éternelle, ending with the swelling chords and the ebb and flow of the waves from the beginning of the first track. 

Before throwing out some final thoughts, consider the caveat that yours truly is a big tech death fan. That being said, First Fragment is a bit of an anomaly, having melded tech death with not only flamenco and neoclassical influences, but also with 80s hair metal vibes and a little bit of funk. Regardless, there is no question that each of these musicians is a master of his craft and that Gloire Éternelle is a unique but cohesive album that raises the bar in the technical death metal genre. 

(5 / 5)