Recently I was browsing through my collection looking for something interesting to listen to when I came upon a cd that I even forgot I had. It’s a record with a blueish album cover, depicting a sinister forest covered in snow, bathed in the light of a cold moon and sporting an intelligible logo. I know what you think, but no, this is not another Scandinavian band and no, the cover is not made by Necrolord. What we have here is Frozen Shadows, a Canadian black metal band, and the album in question is their debut record, “Dans les Bras des Immortels“, released by Sepulchral Productions all the way back in 1999.
I don’t think I ever reviewed a Canadian black metal band before, so why not start with Frozen Shadow? I mean, only because they are from Québec doesn’t mean their album cannot be as good as any of those records released in Scandinavia during that time. Au contraire, I must add. This record is just as good and maybe even better than many of the so called “cult” records released at the time. And what is certain (besides death), is that the material I am about to review here is violent and beautiful as fuck and still gives me thrills even after so many years.
The album is lengthy, with 7 songs spanning a bit over 47 minutes. To say that this is another symphonic black metal record would be misleading. Only because a band uses keyboards doesn’t mean they are symphonic. In this case, the keyboards do not play the main role but are there to infuse the album with a sinister touch. While being quite low in the mix, they create a somber and haunting atmosphere and add a melodic depth to the album, which makes it evenmore suitable to be listened to at night in a snowy forest.
The guitars are very abrasive and raw, with a primitive sound, both nekro and melodic at the same time, which I absolutely love. The riffs cut deep and their surgical precision complements perfectly the organized chaos created by the insane blast beats. Yes, the drums are the backbone of this album, as they pound relentlessly with unhuman speed and carry all the weight. I seriously wonder if Namtar did not suffer any injuries during the recording of this album, this is how savage his drumming is.
But this record is not only about speed. We also encounter some interesting breaks, where the keys and the acoustic guitars intertwine and create a melancolic setting, before everything explodes again into a wall of blast beats and chilling riffs (ex. “Lunes Funèbres“). There are also mid tempo passages that balance very well those devilish blast beats, allowing a certain variation to come into being (ex. “Dans les Bras des Immortels“). The production is surprisingly good for such a savage release, allowing even the bass guitar to be audible from time to time, something that happens quite rarely on a black metal record.
Myrkhaal‘s vocals are ice cold and reek of an obscure desperation, so characteristic for the mid 90s period. Their spiteful and misanthropic tone has an ominous feeling that looms over the songs for the whole duration of the album.
“Atop mountains of misanthropy
Formless hands crushed the light
Its ashes lost in the sands of time
Fragments of a faith, shattered, forgotten“
What I like the most about this album is how the 3 musicians succeeded in creating a dark world of their own, full of hate, coldness and majesty. When most of the so called black metal heroes of the early / mid 90s shifted towards that stupid “avantgarde” shit, Frozen Shadows took further the beauty of “Into the Nightside Eclipse” and infused it with their own devilish mark. The result was this astonishing debut album, cold, dark, yet primitive and pagan.
“Dans les Bras des Immortels” is that kind of album which has everything to be considered a great black metal release, even so many years after it came out: very good musicianship, fantastic atmosphere, memorability and, last but not least, a beautiful cover to stare at. For me it definitely stood the test of time and now, 27 years later, I still think it sounds as beautifully threatening as ever. As a matter of fact, Osmose Productions has re-released it last year, on both cd and vinyl, so if you want it, you know where to find it.
Frozen Shadows – “Dans les Bras des Immortels” Track List:
1. Dans les Bras des Immortels
2. Forsaken Whispers
3. Beyond the Pallid Vales
4. Of Pain and Insufferable Torment
5. Au Seuil des Ténèbres
6. Lunes Funèbres
7. Under Horrid Skies
Frozen Shadows Line Up:
Myrkhaal – vocals / keyboards
Alvater – guitars
Namtar – drums / bass / guitars
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