Cantique Lépreux – Le Bannissement

Anyone who has been compelled by the grandeur of the Metal Noir Quebecois scene will most likely have stumbled upon the back catalogue of Cantique Lépreux. It might be a bit too easy or even immature to start off saying that Cantique Lépreux has not much in common with their compatriots of Blasphemy, but the difference really could hardly be greater. If you were to translate the band name into English, however, you would suspect that you were dealing with something very gruesome (what the sensuality of the French language won’t do…), however, this foursome is one of the flag bearers of this specific and most refined sort of Canadian Black Metal.

The overarching characteristics are, to a certain extent, all shared with the majority of the bands that can be considered Cantique Lépreux’s musical blood brothers. The individual differences between all these acts will at most be fodder for discussion among true connoisseurs, yet the most common denominators are the band’s feeling for fast and tremolo-picked melodies, repeating patterns, acoustic passages and the subsequent resulting sense of the magnificence and beauty of nature. Add to that a generally big and clean production and lengthy tracks and you have pretty much an idea of the Atmospheric Black Metal that is spawned from that musically fertile Canadian grounds.

Yet, while a band like Sorcier Des Glaces is a more mellow example out of that scene and Forteresse, with its blistering pace, is quite the opposite, Cantique Lépreux sits very much in the middle of these two. Leaving enough room to breathe, also because of some acoustic parts and deeper dynamics, but with enough spunk to appeal to the average Black Metal listener. Most striking in the band’s mix is the slightly rougher vocals compared to many of their peers, this offers an interesting contrast that still blends in naturally with the rest of the musical collage.

The blazing speed in combination with the catchy melodies all wrapped up in a stunning production might not result in something that can be characterized as original – at least, not anymore, yet it is executed in almost perfect fashion. All of the songs highlight the band member’s individual musical quality and their collective song writing abilities. ‘Le Bannissement’ is yet another testament of the band’s high standard Atmospheric Black Metal.

However, this kaleidoscopic approach of the Black Metal genre is something that you have to appreciate, if you have enjoyed the band’s previous recordings or any of the other bands in their local scene, ‘Le Bannissement’ definitely will not disappoint. Cantique Lépreux might not have the highest pace in releasing new material, the last full-length dates back to 2018 with only an EP from 2021 as a single sign of life, but you can be sure that they always deliver the expected quality.