« Abstractionnisme »
Deathbound Records
2013
Emerging from the depths of technical Death Metal wizards, BEYOND CREATION, drummer Philippe Boucher and free agent vocalist, Francis Desrochers have joined forces to form INCANDESCENCE! Releasing their premier album, “Abstractionnisme”, the Montreal dual forge ahead with awesome power and potent Black Metal to great effect!
Harboring a crisp sound and production, the album starts simply enough with an intro. that preludes competent musicianship, courtesy of P. Boucher who plays all the instruments. Title track, Abstractionniste is melodically busy punctuated by manic drums and riffs aplenty. Drama is added by the occasional blast beat, all the while maintaining a controlled rhythm. What is striking about the sound, is that even though keyboards or string instrumentation aren’t used, the sound is oddly symphonic! The quality of Francis Desrochers’s vocal with the guitar riffs and drums give the impression of a background orchestra at work. Glorieuse Dégénérescence also showcases a similar effect and can be likened to French Black Metallists, ANOREXIA NERVOSA, both in vocal style and aural intensity.
Meanwhile, the two bring the momentum down at times to a slow plodding crawl as is evident in La Valse des Ombres. Here INCANDESCENCE displays an ability to perform full tilt but can add variation to the equation nicely. Boucher’s drumming greatly accentuates the song’s drive as Desrochers’s rasp spits forth reflections of nature`s imposing beauty in his poet lyrics. L’Abîme du Rêve begins with clean guitar strumming and nice bass line before entering into a galloping tempo and blast beat throughout only to book end the song with the familiar clean guitar. Juxtaposed styles characterize final cut, Prophétie de la Lune de Sang as a straight forward approach is adopted musically and features a “dreamlike” quality. While there are more quiet moments (the song boasts three movements), the fury does rear its head once again. “Abstractionnisme” is a beast of a record full of dynamic flare and although there could be a bit more bottom end in the final mix, INCANDESCENCE has truly released a gem! Though, not completely obvious upon first listen, this is a complex, demanding album that will continue to grow and present itself to be a fan favorite for the Quebec Metal scene and beyond!
Standout Tracks: Abstractionniste, L’Abîme de Rêve, Prophétie de la Lune de Sang (i. Manifestation ii. Posession iii.Ascension)
8.5/10
Chris Metalreviews Wheeler
