‘Reclaiming the Ancient Spirit’ is the debut of this new French solo act. It is a project clearly paying tribute to the glorious ancient French hordes, as Seigneur Voland, Sombre Chemin or Funeral can be heard right from its start.
Tyrannical grim vocals, elusive epic synths, insane tremolo picked fury on the guitars and a heavy compelling double bass drumming are typical of the genre but as the music progresses one can sense an even greater pagan influence from projects such as Nécropole by means of the omnipresent opulent synthesizers, which becomes most noticeable after the third track.
Rather than clinging to Black Metal in its purest, most hateful form, Archaic Blood pursues a far more intriguing direction. Bitterness and spite clash constantly with a profound spiritual decay, shaping a vivid tension where aggression and melancholy intertwine; as if the music itself were striving to resurrect a long‑extinguished era.
In a nutshell: this is well-produced music in honour of the French scene of old.
This is only a digital release at the moment: the CD and cassette are to be released this summer through Hidden Marly Production and Southern Rampart. The demo can be heard on YouTube but fans of the genre really need a copy of this.
