This is the seventh album from French black metallers Seth.
La France des Maudits offers up 46 minutes of expressive black metal. Seth are one of those bands that have been around for some time now and despite being aware of them since their very early days I’ve never actually heard them before. This new album seemed like the perfect time to rectify this.
Seth play classic black metal with melody, atmosphere, and symphonic touches. It’s resolutely old-school at heart, and you can absolutely tell that this is from a band that originated in the 90s. However, it’s also driven by a passion that benefits from contemporary fire and professional delivery. The end result is a collection of songs that burn with intensity and zealous charisma.
The songs are well-written and have been crafted by people that obviously know their art intimately. All of the music’s component parts work well together and are of high quality, but the melodies and keyboards stand out for me. These are awash with emotion, and portray feeling through a rich number of moods and textures, all of which are deeply effective. They combine majesty and melancholy in compelling ways, opening up a world of immersive depth for the listener to explore. The rest of the instruments – and scathing vocals – don’t let the side down though. Seth’s musical package is tight and impressive, with little time wasted and everything performed to the highest quality.
La France des Maudits is classic black metal that is expertly delivered and produced. Every song is a winner, and Seth have done themselves proud. You can tell how good this album is by the fact that even the 3-minute interlude Marianne is a worthy inclusion. If that’s not high praise, I don’t know what is. Essentially, if you’re a classic black metal fan than you won’t want to miss out on this.
Wonderbox Metal 