All right, time to get through that pile of records I still have lying around here and that are crying out to be listened to (and reviewed). This one has been out for a while already, in fact it belongs to one of the earlier batches of Medieval Prophecy Records releases of 2025. Although I loved all of Effroi’s work before and most of what Medieval Prophecy Records puts out from their native Belgian Black Metal scene, I couldn’t get myself to actually give this album a proper listen. Sometimes you have expectations that run a little too high, so that it turns in a bit of a fear to be disappointed. But, glory to the brave, here we go.
That previous output, two demos and a split 7” EP with Crypts Of Wallachia, all released in the years between 2019 and 2021, has been around for a while. As a result, a new sign of life was eagerly awaited. Now, most Belgian bands in these circles are not necessarily extremely productive, so there was no real reason to be concerned, but after several years, it is still nice to have new Effroi material in our hands. And even a full-length album.
Although the music hasn’t changed much at its core, the change of vocalist has brought a slightly different tone to the overall sound. Former singer Sidney Schmitz (Eole Noir, Hertogenwald, Nartvind and ex-Gouffre) has been replaced by Death Commander, who also provides both vocals and strings for Dikasterion. Death Commander is delivering the goods pretty well, but honestly, Schmitz’ considerably deranged sort of vocals, both in sheer sharpness and maniacal devotion, is actually being missed here.
The rawness of the previous output, with the two demo tapes in particular being rather rough edges, has been a substantial part of the experience. Effroi has been a band that offered atmosphere as well as a thoroughly grainy listening experience. In short: Black Metal that is built on all that Second Wave splendour. I wouldn’t classify ‘Eerie Passage’ as a polished and cleaned-out affair, but it is clear that with this full-length album the band opted for a considerably more accessible approach.
The atmospheric parts, conveyed by both keyboards and moody melodies, do add much to the overall product, fitting way better to the rather smooth and safe sounding Black Metal that’s coming from those figures like Swartadauþuz and Alex Poole. Although by no means a bad album, the overall positive impression I had from the first few moments I heard the album has watered down quite quickly after a few additional spins. And, to be quite frank, Death Commander’s much safer vocals are not particularly helpful in this regard. Unfortunately, at the end of the ride, there’s not so much that really turns out memorable.
Perhaps my expectations were too high, but in any case, by smoothing out all those rough edges, the band clearly found itself in calmer waters. As said, ‘Eerie Passage’ was not a punishment to sit through a good couple of times, but I do feel quite a bit disappointed after all. Regardless, ‘Eerie Passage’ does not feel very eerie at all.
