A mix of Swedish melodic Death Metal with atmospheric Black Metal into something that could be described as a much heavier and more Black Metal version of more modern Dark Tranquillity, that’s how I called ACOD in the review of their most recent EP ‘Cryptic Curse’. That the band is not easily caught in a few comparisons is once again clear on ‘Versets Noirs’, the band’s most recent album and first under the banner of Hammerheart Records.
Dissection, Morbid Angel, Emperor, Rotting Christ, Moonspell, Dark Tranquility, Cradle of Filth, Septic Flesh and Behemoth; just some of the influences that you can hear back in the mammoth opener ‘Habentis Maleficia’ alone. Clocking in at over 20 minutes, the song is the ultimate showcase of the vast bombastic sound that the French band harbors in their music. A massive and compelling piece that is both heavily chugging and symphonically alluring, it defies my initial notion that these long tracks hardly ever work. Instead, it shows the richness of the band’s ideas and creative ability to mould it into one intriguing piece. Compared to their previous releases, it shows a growth of ACOD who further hone their style by diversifying without compromising on the core that made their previous full-length and EP so strong. Setting the bar for the band to new heights, it in fact leads to a situation where the rest of the album can’t quite match its beauty.
The remaining four songs on the album are nowhere near the same in length, and therefore sound a little bit more straightforward in comparison. That may not necessarily apply to the second track, ‘The Son of a God (The Heir of Divine Blood)’, as this particular song mixes relentlessly fast Blackened Death Metal in the vein of Belphegor with the melodic qualities of Rotting Christ, Dissection and Dark Tranquillity with a sense of melancholy and grandeur. With it, it offers a similar level of diversity and fascination as the preceding song, with a catchy lyrical finale to boot. And the same level of captivation and yearning can be found in ‘May the World Burn’. But for instance, ‘A Thousand Lives in a Second’ and ‘Black Trip’, perhaps not coincidentally the shortest two tracks on the record, feel rather more onedimensional and confined. It is by no means a disqualification of the songs, and perhaps more so a confirmation of the splendour of the other tracks. But in the end, they do feel like a firm step behind the monumental opener.
Those that followed the most recent ACOD albums will find that ‘Versets Noirs’ further builds on their formula, adding a touch more symphonic and bombastic elements to the fold and expanding the overall soundscape. It has resulted in a highly diverse album that combines the melody and symphony, but also heaviness from Death Metal and Black Metal into an intriguing whole. It’s the sort of music where a lot is going on so inevitably not everybody may find it as appealing, but those that are open for a challenging listen will find plenty to dig their teeth in on this album. If you count yourself into that category, do indulge in the journey that is the opening track, it’s a glorious piece of work!
ACOD
- Country: France
- Style: Black Metal, Death Metal
- Links: Homepage, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Spotify, Youtube
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Hammerheart Records
- Country: Netherlands
- Style: Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, Other
- Links: Homepage, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Youtube
