A vagabond reaction to ideological abandonment, wherein all symbols of innocence are torn apart by a predatory society, aims as testament to the curative and steeling aspect of the natural world as Québec City, Québec-based atmospheric melodic black metal quartet Cantique Lépreux present a sojourn from banishment to self-built independence out in the wilds of this deeply introspective third full-length album. ‘Le Bannissement‘ is intended as a glorification, an example of resolve found within the freeing solitude of nature amplified by an auld sensation of grandeur limited to the striations of the past wherein ancient music and eternal naturalism offer a certain spiritual fortitude explored and embodied within these seven songs. One should be able to palpate the ache of self-actualization, freeing thoughts without resignation amidst difficult trials of survival, transmitted within these rushing and trampling strides of melodic black metal as they are exaggerated into deeply sophisticated musing.

Cantique Lépreux formed circa 2014 by way of guitarist Blanc Feu (Mêlée des Aurores), drummer Cadavre (Acédia, Obvurt) and bassist Matrak (Chasse-Galerie, Délétère, Forteresse) all of whom have various associations and pacts within the Québecois scenery starting around the mid-to-late 2000’s. Their style was well-prepared and defined from the start aiming for a blend of wistful wintry atmosphere and brisk speed applied to tremolo-picked melodic black metal shapes wherein the momentum of bands like Sorcier des Glaces and Forteresse was felt in modus but not plainly reflected. The somewhat raw sound design of their first full-length (‘Cendres C​é​lestes‘, 2016) was appropriate for its time, stylized with focus on cold but highly active intent, and at the time I think I’d seen them as contemporaries of the early days of Spectral Wound. A second album (‘Paysages Polaires‘, 2018) would further develop the vocal style applied with more desperate tones atop warmed guitar sounds, a change which’d left the rhythm section feeling somewhat suffocated for my own taste at the time. Upon giving brief review of that second album my thoughts on the band were positive but limited in engagement as a late-in-the-year release which required deeper engagement.

The foundation of Cantique Lépreux is yet upheld here on album number three, though we find the addition of second guitarist Ascèse (Acédia) in collaboration with the vision of Blanc Feu riddling ‘Le Bannissement‘ with additional arcs of melodic interest, layers of harmonization which help to further differentiate the regal stride of this band. Kicking speed and dual rhythm guitar presented melodicism are the core of the experience here and through methods of self-engineered prowess and a final pass by Tehom Studios ensures the sound on this album has been double-checked by several folks for a fine result. This means the bass guitar definition peeks through the rushing cloudiness of it all, the drums are given an ideal sort of ‘Far Away From the Sun‘ tumble in their presence (see: “Fuir”), and amidst layers of subtle keyboards + various light accoutrement no one element swallows up the entire space. This additional precision and the nuance it reveals does not clip the volatile wings of the project or buffer the aggression inherent but rather streamlines the impact of every moment, almost congesting its ~44 minute length with too much detail to start.

The toppling melodious arcing and determined narration of opener “Le Ravissement” create undeterred momentum and clear direction as ‘Le Bannissement‘ opens, emphasizing its linearly cascading throttle for the sake of the deeply felt turn into the aforementioned “Fuir”, an immediate and arresting piece which’d locked in my interest from the first preview. The blitz of tempo and abruptness of each movement in the major thread on this song may be naturally engaging but the real classic melodic black metal affect of this song comes from equal voice shared and traded-off between the rhythm guitar statements and the cadence of the vocals themselves. At the very least this should be an energizing piece to charge up interest early in the full listen as we’ve found the electricity and the modus of the band at that point but the exploration of composition and their own unique expression will continue to evolve. In fact the following song, the 9+ minute opus “Rivières rompues”, is the next stage in this suggested escalation per the first half of the album wherein the taut, controlled expressivity of Cantique Lépreux becomes a full-bodied sensation. Flourishes run wild at this point as solos begin to fling about, the bass guitar rides the wriggling fluctuations of rhythm in virtuosic abundance, and the joy of the full listen finally reveals itself through a horseback striding, sword-swinging piece. Within the scope of those first three songs Side A is a best foot forward, an enthusiastic rush into the thick of the plot and with no sure sign of respite beyond that point.

At that point the momentum of the full listen eases and doesn’t pick up any truly substantial interest ’til “Par la Gueule des Fantômes” naturally generates its own fixation thanks to a hypnotic thread of lead guitar amped swaying and serving variations, one of the more conversational extensions of phrase on the album and a notable point of interest later on. The album’s second half is otherwise characterized by more laid back tempo though drummer Cadavre truly shines on more dynamically shaped compositions, such as “Le rêve primordial” which presents the most extreme shifts to the overall tempo map; Otherwise I’d suggest that the reservoir of motion which all of Side A feeds into Side B doesn’t necessarily allow for a fully satisfying conclusion as the conversation seems to be just-about reaching for its twilight movements as ‘Le Bannissement‘ ends, begging for an additional song or some manner of tonal outro to punctuate. The only side-effect of this is that the shift from “Consécration” back to the opener feels somewhat abrupt when engaging in repeat listens, of course this is hardly a practical complaint.

Per my own experience and in taking a closer look/listen at their full discography I’d suggest that ‘Le Bannissement‘ is a best-yet prospect from Cantique Lépreux wherein they’ve found a primal point of connectivity with both subject matter and conveyance which reads as inspired, intentioned work which acts with purpose and some admirable mastery beyond past works. Not the most outright tuneful melodic black metal album you’ll hear all year but possibly one of the more earnest. A high recommendation.

---