Hérétique du Nord is a mysterious one-man project/band from the entity known as Malgeist and was formed in late 2023 in the grim, barren environment of Québec, Canada. Musically, it showcases a very unique blend of eerie Dungeon Synth, Dark Ambient, raw Black Metal and Doom Metal.
A full-fledged debut album ‘Shadow and Frost,’ released in March 2024 through Crucial Blast Records, was already a notable work that showcased the distinctive style of the band: a mix of solemn yet grandiose Dungeon Synth, opulent cinematic strings, and subterranean Drone-Doom mixed with savage Black Metal, creating a rich, atmospheric soundscape.
And now there’s a new stream of music called ‘À l’abri de la Lumière’ which translates as “Protected from Light”.
It’s a piece of foreboding and bleak raw Black Metal and Doom, mixed with venomous vocals, shamanic chants, Dark Ambient sound structures and Dungeon Synth. The entire EP exhales this desolate, lonely and tragically sad atmosphere, similar to the harsh winter in Saint Eustache, Québec.
Tracks as the solemn ouverture ‘La Soif Eternelle’, the dark opus ‘La Flamme Givrée, the monolithic ‘Les Os du Forgeron’ show the potential of Hérétique Du Nord in its struggle between light and darkness, sadness and grim hatred. And the instrumental tracks in between are simply divine.
A great effort this new EP.
Hérétique Du Nord is a worthy newcomer in the vibrant scene of Québec. I urge everyone who likes this French-Canadian type of music and the releases from Sepulchral Records to check out this EP, as well as the debut and hopefully a new opus follows soon.
