Sorcier Des Glaces - Moonrise in Total Darkness

[J.]

Sorcier Des Glaces – Moonrise in Total Darkness
Mankind’s Demise Records - mdrz001 - 2006
By Wayward_Son

Faithful Reader, if you simply cannot get enough of the early 1990’s Norwegian black metal sound, Sorcier Des Glaces’ second full-length is here to rescue you from the modern sounds and traits that black metal has allowed since. Originally intended to be released two years after the semi-known Snowland, Moonrise in Total Darkness was delayed for reasons unknown to this writer. So, ten years later, Sorcier Des Glaces is back with their version of melodious, cold black metal.

With a sound so ingrained in Norwegian black metal, one would hope Sorcier Des Glaces’ lone member, Mr. Sébastien Robitaille, brings to the table some new elements to that specific, special sound. While not entirely new, the different combinations at times, can work quite nicely. Take for instance, ’La ou la Pleine Lune Eclaire les Ombres du Royaume Des Glaces’, which borrows from Immortal, Emperor and melodies that would fit on one of Dawn’s albums. The use of keyboards, while simple, do add to the overall feel of Moonrise on Total Darkness, and play perfect counter to the frantic Immortal-esque blast beats present throughout most of the songs. Mr. Robitaille’s vocals are your typical black metal croak, reminiscent of Immortal’s Abbath. The element that feels entirely Sorcier Des Glaces is the inclusion of various acoustic type interludes injected within the slower segments of the songs.

So, was Moonrise in Total Darkness worth the wait? Depends on the listener, really. This writer tends to believe any black metal fan can do without Moonrise in Total Darkness. There is honestly nothing here that has not been done before, and been done better. Though that may be a moot point, considering Mr. Robitaille states in the booklet that his second album is a “tribute to early black metal”. Tribute or not, stick with the classics.

Official Sorcier Des Glaces Website
Official Mankind's Demise Records Website

 

[Death Aflame]

I must take a completely oppositonal stance to the original reviewer on this. Moonrise In Total Darkness is a masterwork of the black metal form. A strong claim, no? Let me explain. What separates this album beyond most black metal released in this day and age (especially black metal that seeks to shamefully recycle early 2nd wave stuff) is that all of the music revolves around evoking a very particular essence, an essence that is quite similar to the bands of old, no doubt (this is as far as the tribute goes to the old masters I would say) but the manifestation of that essence is extremely diverse and unique in its own right. Take the simultaneously harsh and beautiful aesthetic of Burzum and meld it with a more melodically and structurally intricate work such as Sacramentum's Far Away From the Sun and you may begin to see just how significant a release like MiTD truly is.

True, it is no doubt partly a product of ancestor worship (though no more than all cultural objects are) but that's not all it is--it reinvents and synthesizes some of the strongest foundational perspectives on the genre into a cohesive whole that is truly unmatched in its style and form.

Don't overlook this one folks.