Baume is a one-man post-black metal band from France, and this is his latest release.
I really liked 2018’s Les Années Décapitées, so Un Calme Entre les Tempêtes is very well-received. Containing just three tracks, we get 28 minutes of material to absorb us. Un Calme Entre les Tempêtes is more experimental in flavour than Les Années Décapitées, but suffers no significant deficit in the quality department because of this.
Opener Octobre is a sort of blackened ambient mood-piece instrumental with electronic undertones, presenting an atmospheric and engaging start to this release.
Rien ne Dure is next, a 12-minute centrepiece that takes us on an electronically-enhanced journey into the universe’s outer realms. The track is well-constructed and sequenced, flowing across its playing time and developing an engaging and immersive soundscape without any apparent effort. My favourite here.
We close with the title track, and the only one with any vocals. These are spoken word, and despite how much I detest spoken word, they don’t overly mar the track too much. Less atmospheric and more experimental blackgaze, the track isn’t as strong as its predecessors, but still closes the release in a satisfactory manner.
A bold new direction for Baume, or a one-off experimental detour? Only time will tell. Either way, it’s mostly a success, and Un Calme Entre les Tempêtes is well-worth hearing.
Recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 