This is the eighth album from French industrial metal band Fange.
I haven’t caught up with Fange since 2014’s Poisse and 2017’s Pourrissoir, and the band have been very productive since then. They have released a slew of albums and developed their sound in different directions, all branching out from a malevolent heart. So what does Purulences offer us in 2025?
The answer, is 32 minutes of industrial metal that punishes and chastises, but that also asks questions of the listener as it does so.
Fange now sound quite different to their original incarnation and have developed a strong voice of their own. Purulences is an intriguing blend of industrial beats, weighty guitars, and industrial power. Some of the riffs have a death metal influence, and there is the occasional sludge element that betrays their past, but ultimately this is an industrial metal album. Godflesh are the obvious, mandatory reference point, although Fange certainly have a personality distinct from that legendary act. There are some almost blackened textures too, in places, that recall some of Blut Aus Nord‘s more industrial work. I’m also put in mind of Doodseskader’s recent performance when I saw them with Alcest; they and Fange sound like they would work well together.
The songs on Purulences have a relentless feel to them, as they drive forward with percussive force. The guitars unleash huge riffs, restrained by the punishing beats and enhanced by electronic/keyboard detailing. The urbanised atmospheres are potent, giving the music an inhuman aspect that’s offset by the varied, very human vocals. The singer speaks, spits, and shouts his way through the material, as if he’s raging against his oppressive industrialised surroundings.
The end result is an interesting blend of cold industry and warm emotion. It makes listening to the songs not only an enjoyable one, but a somewhat fascinating one too. Fange have an ability to merge these two sides into something that stands out from the pack. Purulences is a rare record, one that obviously takes in familiar influences, but then processes them in away that adds something quintessentially all of its own.
Well, this has thrown me for something of a loop. Fange’s new sound, (or at least new to me), is not what I was expecting, and I find myself drawn to this album in an atypical way. I want to study it and understand it, yet also just immerse myself in its layers of captivating character.
I’m struggling to know just how much I like this, only that I do. Make sure you explore this unheralded gem.
Wonderbox Metal 