Atavistic and frozen, Sorcier Des Glaces is one of the premier extreme music duos in Quebec. With songs that reek of tales of the frozen north (among other things) their new record, Rituals of the End is a stunning example of what they call 'Cold Primitive Metal'. There is no mercy in this bands sound, no hope, no joy, simply a return to the frozen lands of the north. Reminiscent at times of Immortal or even the ever varied Darkthrone Sorcier Des Glaces have done something special with their fifth record, leaving me frantically searching for the rest of their discography.
See, one thing that Sorcier Des Glaces does extremely well (probably as a result of all of the experience they have) is craft epic and far reaching soundscapes that scream of the grim Canadian winters. I think the keyboards do an especially good job of contributing to these sort of epic soundscapes. It gives the entire thing a certain bombast that not a lot of bands have these days. This is the sort of record that takes you on a journey through the bleak winters of yore. The long songs mesmerize the listener and hold them captive to the sound, there is no real escape once you have plunged into this record, it's simply impossible to hit pause. Ritual of the End needs to be played again and again.
What really strikes me about this record is that it often comes very close stylistically to black metal, yet I think I would be very wrong in calling it such. Their are patterns established here that don't really fit into any genre and sounds that are simply too majestic for words. So yes, it may be black metal inspired, but it often goes so much further than that. The sorrowful and beautiful outtro of Snowland is a great example of this. The relatively simple guitar parts pull at the heart strings in a way that not a lot of bands can. So put on your headphones and sit down, you are in for quite the ride!
Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sorcier-Des-Glaces/17529065374
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