Sühnopfer is getting set to release his black metal opus Hic Regnant Borbonii Manes via Debemur Morti Productions on May 10th. The solo project of the French multi-instrumentalist Ardraos (drummer in Christicide, Aorlhac, and Peste Noire), it is steeped in a midieval vibe deeply rooted in the musician’s connection to Bourbon heritage and his home region in the historical Bourbonnais/Auvergne area of France.
Written by Ardraos between 2013-2018, and recorded at NKS Studio between November 2016 and January 2019, the musician plays all the instruments on the album. Considering the density of this material, as well as its technical proficiency, that is no small feat! Hic Regnant Borbonii Manes is a supreme accomplishment, and is the kind of record that you can expect to see on our Favorite Albums of 2019 list later this year.
“Je Vivroie Liement” is a great introduction to Sühnopfer’s baroque style. Icy spirals of guitar seem to emit endlessly from some infernal geyser as Ardraos unleashes a blizzard of drums. The musician’s vocals howl thru the storm with an ontological rage, as his blood-curdling despair flashes like lightning across this freezing soundscape. While “Je Vivroie Liement” changes tack about three-and-a-half minutes in, peeling away the layers of complexity to leave only the dirge-like beat of a bass drum and neo-folk melody on guitar, the cut soon redoubles its pummeling attack with vocal help from Spellbound.
