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Dissonant, interesting and original black metal.

Having released a couple of demos and an album (out of which I only have 'Shabattu, Danse Lunaire' and 'L'Ombre Malicieuse'), Darvulia's latest, L'Alliance des Venins, puts the southwest band ahead of the whole French black metal scene, being one of the better albums that came out so far this year. This album stands out because of its dissonance. Never have I heard anything this directly dissonant (just listen to Manoir aux cadavres d'enfants, and you'll get the picture). The guitar tone is pretty raw, but would still sound itchy to the untrained ear. The song structures are pretty basic, but what makes this album most interesting are the unique riffs. They sound like a black metal version of Cheval de Frise (another French band, not metal though). Blast beats and clichés make little to no appearances on the album, which is refreshing. The drums were recorded very professionally, not taking up too much space or being too low in the mix. The vocals are average, but some parts really think outside the box (middle of 'Nous Sommes les Plaies...'), with some freaky shrieks/screams à la Amaka Hahina. Overall, an extremely refreshing album which stands out simply because of the riffs. Definitely one of the best French bands around for 2006.