OUR LIST OF 2022’S MOST INFECTIOUS EXTREME METAL SONGS (PART 19): VÉHÉMENCE, NEBULA ORIONIS, WIEGEDOOD

 MOST INFECTIOUS SONGS-2022  No Responses »
Jan 262023
 

Once again I’m racing due to diminishing time, but still determined to continue posting an installment of this list every weekday, especially because the number of weekdays left before I call a halt is now down to a very small number. And so the only preview I’ll give you about the three I’ve chosen today is that they are all black metal songs that are all glorious in different ways. (I wrote about each of them when they surfaced last year, and I’m generously borrowing from those write-ups in the introductions below.)

VÉHÉMENCE (France)

The first song in today’s collection, “Au Blason Brûlé“, is one I premiered at NCS in the run-up to release of the new Véhémence album Ordalies. In that context I explained why the song had such a strong impact — and that impact hasn’t diminished over the year that’s passed since I first heard it: Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: VÉHÉMENCE — “AU BLASON BRÛLÉ”

 Premieres  2 Responses »
Feb 042022
 

The second album by the French medieval black metal band Véhémence, 2019’s Par le Sang Versé, was a stunner. It was one of the most thoroughly entrancing and gloriously vibrant metal albums this writer had heard in years, regardless of sub-genre. It embraced ancient folk traditions and hurled them forward into the modern age, but without letting go of the intense devotion to the centuries-old well-springs of inspiration that gave birth to the record. I thought it would be impossible not to be moved in some significant degree by the fervency of its music, and likely that most listeners would simply be swept aloft and carried away, as I was.

How would Véhémence even equal, much less exceed, such a rare and marvelously multi-faceted achievement? In about one month everyone will find out whether they have done so, because on March 8th Antiq Records will release a new Véhémence album named Ordalies. Continue reading »

OVERFLOWING STREAMS (PART 2)

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  3 Responses »
Jan 172022
 

 

As explained yesterday in Part 1 of this immense round-up, I made an initial cull of 23 songs and videos, most of which surfaced during the last week. I had intended to sift through those more carefully to reach a more manageable number, but due to lack of time I decided to just throw the whole boiling mass at your face. And I actually added another track last night to make the total an even two dozen.

I alphabetized the list by band name and then cut the mass in half, which might have made it a little easier on your senses and your time; we begin today with the letter “I”. Unlike most of my round-ups I also didn’t have time to include the usual links, artwork, or much commentary — mainly just small bits of info about the releases. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): VÉHÉMENCE — “PAR LE SANG VERSÉ”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  19 Responses »
Feb 132019
 

 

Par le Sang Versé is one of the most thoroughly entrancing and gloriously vibrant metal albums I’ve heard in years, regardless of sub-genre. It seizes ancient folk traditions and hurls them forward into the modern age, but without letting go of the intense devotion to the centuries-old well-springs of inspiration that gave birth to this record. I do think it’s impossible not to be moved in some significant degree by this fervent music, and likely that most listeners will simply be swept aloft and carried away, as I’ve been.

I wrote the preceding paragraph as part of an introduction to our premiere two weeks ago of a single song from this new album by the French medieval black metal band Véhémence. Since then, my conviction has only grown stronger that this record is a rare and marvelously multi-faceted achievement. At the time of that previous premiere, three other tracks were also available for listening, but today it’s our great pleasure to present a stream of all the music in advance of its February 18th release by the French label Antiq Records. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: VÉHÉMENCE — “PASSAGE DANS LES DOUVES”

 Premieres  10 Responses »
Jan 292019
 

 

Par le Sang Versé is one of the most thoroughly entrancing and gloriously vibrant metal albums I’ve heard in years, regardless of sub-genre. It seizes ancient folk traditions and hurls them forward into the modern age, but without letting go of the intense devotion to the centuries-old well-springs of inspiration that gave birth to this record. I do think it’s impossible not to be moved in some significant degree by this fervent music, and likely that most listeners will simply be swept aloft and carried away, as I’ve been.

Granted, this writer tends to get swept away by a wider range of extreme music, and perhaps more often, than many of you, yet the conviction is strong that the eight songs on this new second album by the French medieval black metal band Véhémence are so powerful in their capacity to ignite passion and fire the imagination that the band’s own unmistakable passions become highly communicable, if not irresistible.

Have I fallen whole-heartedly within the embrace of a seduction that you could shrug off? That’s a question you can answer for yourselves, because you’ll have the chance to listen to a new song from the album following a lot more introductory verbiage, plus three more tracks that were previously released in advance of the record’s release on February 10th by the distinctive French label, Antiq. Continue reading »

FIVE OF MY FAVOURITE… ALBUM COVERS

 Eye-Catchers  7 Responses »
Apr 202018
 

 

(Andy Synn returns to his irregular series devoted to things that come in five’s, the focus of this one being metal album art.)

The phrase “never judge a book by its cover” was obviously uttered by someone who’d never found themselves stranded in a busy bookshop and frozen by indecision over which of the many, many options to spend their hard-earned cash on.

Of course while I agree with the sentiment in principle – style is no substitute for substance after all, and a shiny package is no guarantee of superior contents – the truth is that human beings are very visual creatures, and an eye-catching cover, one which hints at the themes and manifest delights contained within, can be the difference between finding a new reader and being consigned to the bottom of the bargain bin at the end of the month.

The same obviously applies when we’re talking about albums too. Yes, the move towards a primarily digital market has had an impact on the means and methodology behind how new albums are accessed and presented (though apparently physical sales have been rebounding quite a bit recently), but the importance of good album art still shouldn’t be understated. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE: VEHEMENCE — “FORWARD WITHOUT MOTION”

 Premieres  6 Responses »
Oct 222015
 

VEHEMENCE_FORWARD_WITHOUT_MOTION_COVER_HI_RES

 

Forward Without Motion is the fourth album by Arizona’s Vehemence — and the first since the band split up in 2005 following the 2004 Metal Blade release of Helping the World To See. They are obviously back — and as you’re about to hear from our premiere of a full stream of the new album, they are back with overpowering force.

We knew this album was on the way. In September our writer Andy Synn helped pave the way for its arrival by compiling reviews of all three of the band’s previous full-lengths for the 62nd installment of The Synn Report (here). What we didn’t know then was that we would be invited to bring you a full listen to the new album — but we’re damned glad the opportunity has come our way.

The wait has been a long one — and no one knows that better than the band. They provided us this statement to accompany the album stream: Continue reading »

THE SYNN REPORT, PART 62: VEHEMENCE

 THE SYNN REPORT  6 Responses »
Sep 162015
 

Vehemence-Forward Without Motion

 

(In this 62nd edition of THE SYNN REPORT, Andy reviews the discography to date of Arizona-based Vehemence.)

Recommended for fans of: Abysmal Dawn, God Dethroned, At The Gates,

I currently have more candidates for The Synn Report on my docket than I really know what to do with, and although on the plus side that means I’m in no danger of running out of options within… oh… the next year or two at least… on the negative side of things it means I’m scrambling to write-up and include a number of bands who have new releases out in 2015 (either already released or still forthcoming) and slowly but surely running out of time in which to do so.

One of those bands just happens to be recently resurrected Arizona wrecking crew Vehemence, whose three stellar full-lengths — The Thoughts From Which I Hide (2000), God Was Created (2002), and Helping the World to See (2004) – are soon to be joined by the long-awaited fourth album Forward Without Motion (out Oct. 23rd), which largely reunites the band’s original line-up for nine freshly carved and crafted tracks which aim to put the “DEATH” back into “Melodic Death Metal”.

So what better time than now to get caught up with the band’s killer back-catalogue?

Let the riffing commence! Continue reading »