Aorlhac/La cité des vents/Les Acteurs de L'Ombre Productions/2024 Album Re-Issue Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  France's  Aorlhac  which  showed  the  music  going  for  a  raw,  melodic  and  epic  style  of  black  metal  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  2010  and  called  " La  cité  des  vents"  and  will  be  re-issued  in  September,  2024  by  les  Acteurs  de  L'  Ombre  Productions.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  medieval  style  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast b eats.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  vocals  range  from  grim  to  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length. 

   Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  folk  instruments  onto  the  album  and  as  the  recording  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard,  growls  are  also  utilized  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  Occitan  History  and  Medieval  times. 

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aorlhac  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  melodic  and  epic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Le  bûcher  des  Cathares"  "Sant  Flor,  la  cité  des  vents"  and  "Les  enfants des  limbes".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook       

Aorlhac/À la croisée des vents/Les Acteurs de L' Ombre Productions/2024 EP Re-Issue Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  an  older  ep  from  France's  Aorlhac  which  was  originally  released  in  2008  and  went  for  an  epic,  melodic  and  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  the  recording  is  called  "À  la croisée  des  vents"  and  will  re-issued  in  September,  2024  by  Les  Acteurs  de  L'Ombre  Productions  with  3  bonus  tracks.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a medieval  touch  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  a  couple  of  songs  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  style,  clear  vocals  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental  which  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  folk  instruments.

  On  this  recording  Aorlhac  went  for  more  of  a  raw,  melodic,  epic  and  medieval  form  of  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  Occitan  History  and  Medieval  Times.   

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aorlhac  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  epic,  melodic  and  medieval  black  metal,  you  should  check  o0ut  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  guillotine  est  fort  expéditive"  "Aorlhac"  and  " Les Charognards  e t la  catin".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook 

Aorlhac/Pierres Brûlées/Les Acteurs de L'Ombre Productions/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Aorlhac  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording plays  an  epic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Pierres  Brûlées"  which  was  released  by  Les  Acteurs  de  L'Ombre  Productions.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  The  music  also  adds  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  more  deep  and  angry  shouting  approach  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clear  vocals  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  on  a  few  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard,  one  of  the  songs  is  also  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  their  native  tongue  and  cover  Occitan  History  and  Medieval  Times.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aorlhac  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  epic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMRENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  colère  du  volcan"  "Nos  hameaux  désespérés"  "Les  vésanies  d'Aymérigot  Marchès"  and  "Pierres  brûlées".  8  out  of  10.

Facebook // Bandcamp    

Aorlhac Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

NKS (guitar) : Hey there ! Because of our recent change of label, we are currently working on several things. With the help of the label, we just finished working on our merchandising which will be directly related to “L’Esprit des Vents”. We are also working on our upcoming gigs by adding three tracks from our last album on the setlist. And as you can imagine, we spend much time answering to interviews.


2.You have a new album coming out in March, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

NKS : The fact of having our very own studio directly impact our way to record. We could take our time to test different mics, different positions, instruments or even amps. Let’s say that we really could shape the album as we wanted. Most of the time, you start recording the drums, then the guitars parts, then you realize that something on the snare drum could be added… Here, we could of work without any stress from A to Z. Before that, we had to make do with we had to hand, even if we wanted to have a “home-made” and airy sound, there, for once, we get what we wanted.

3.This is your first release in 7 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

NKS : After the release of « La Cité des Vents”, we continued touring until 2012. We also participated to a split album with Darkenhöld, Ysengrin and Ossuaire back in 2011. Because of a lack of inspiration – not because of weariness – we felt like we needed to take time to direct the last events.
The writing of “L’Esprit des Vents” really started in 2013; if I am not wrong, I think a demo was register in 2015 with a programmed drum. We could have rushed to release the album, but as you can easily guess, after these years of break, every one took care of their own personal project. So we and to wait that everybody was 100% invested on the recording.

4.Your lyrics cover 'Occitan History', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

NKS : We wanted to highlight the values of our roots many times before the creation of the band. We are lucky to live in a region full of histories, the Occitan region spreading through the south of France and passing by the North of Italy and Spain has a rich History, full of legends and fierce battles – that is an endless source of inspiration for the band. We also wanted to arouse interest on our History, and to remind the listener of what happened on our lands.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Aorlhac'?

NKS : Aorlhac is the Occitan name of the city of Aurillac from where we all are, most people do not remember our city’s roots – this was the occasion of paying tribute to our way too unknown small city.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

NKS : We have many good memories of some dates, but I most certainly say that’s during the NORDIC BLACK MASS, at Luynes, where we were honored to share the scene with TAAKE, HELMEIM and VULTURE INDUSTRIES. You must wondering why this date: because at the beginning we were influenced by TAAKE, we were far from thinking that 3 years later we would play by their side!
That is not easy to describe us, but the direct and efficient style of our music, the alternation of melodic and epic parts next to the aggressive singing of our frontman has touched the public.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

NKS : Even if some gigs are planned, or about to, we do not have a tour planed yet - We can believe in a one-week or two tour in Europe during summer, if everybody in the band is free, let’s see what the future brings us.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

NKS : Even if our change of label is recent, we are already seeing the repercussion of our collaboration with Les Acteurs de l’Ombre. LADLO has a visibility far from what we have known before. Until now, I think that the band was quite confidential abroad … except for Canada, where the language of Moliere surely helped that. However, be sure that ‘till now, the Historical and musical concept of Aorlhac was always well greeted.

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

NKS : Today, we are a 100% focus on Aorlhac, for the brains of the band at least. Even if our live drummer Ardraos is a member of PESTE NOIRE, I heard he might be leaving the band for its own project : SÜHNOPFER.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

NKS : I think that Aorlhac will continue to evolve naturally. We started the project 11 years ago, since then our influences and taste in music have changed. In other hand, I think our biggest success was to keep the Aorlhac touch all along the albums. It is possible that some atmospheric parts from “L’esprit des Vents” will be more used in the future. Anyway, we attend to keep our simplicity and efficiency and bring it on stage.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

NKS : At the beginning, I was influenced by renowned bands as  EMPEROR, DISSECTION, SACRAMENTUM, then later by ULVER, DRUDKH, PRIMORDIAL, AGALLOCH. Now, I do not have the time, neither the will to listen to new bands: I feel like they all put the sounds quality first (even though they all sound quite artificial…) rather than the quality of writing.
We are in a consumer society where everything must go fast, nothing last, anybody on Youtube can now discover a hundred BM bands whereas, back in 1997, you could hardly get 10 CDs! In addition, I am not sure that only the rarity of a band is enough to arise interest.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

NKS : We are lucky to have those beautiful landscapes close to us, when we have the opportunity, we love to enjoy those together. Also, our live bass player has a real gift in terms of drawing; we would love to explore this aspect for the upcoming projects.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

NKS : Thank you to you and your webzine for letting us express ourselves. Do not forget “L’Esprit des Vents” release on March, 2nd, with Les Acteurs de l’Ombre.


AORLHAC
https://www.facebook.com/Aorlhac/
https://aorlhac.bandcamp.com/


LABEL
 https://lesacteursdelombre.net/
https://www.facebook.com/LADLOproductions/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ladloprods
https://ladlo.bandcamp.com/


ORDER https://lesacteursdelombre.net/shop/

Aorlhac/L'espirit des vents/Les Acteurs de I' Ombre Productions/2018 CD Review

  Aorlhac  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  epic,  melodic  and  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "L'espirit  des  vents"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Les  Acteurs  de  I' Ombre  Productions.

Tremolo  picking  riffing  starts  off  the  album  and  also  gives  the  music more  of  a  raw  feeling  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  which  also  introduces  blast  beats  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  angry  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  also  being  used  briefly  ad  most  of  the  tracks are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  on  one  of  the  tracks  a  small  amount  of  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard,  a  later  song  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  they  close  the  album  with  an  instrumental.

  Aorlhac  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  epic  and  melodic  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  Medieval  Times  and  Occitan  History  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Aorlhac  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw,  melodic  and  epic  black  metal  band  and  if  you are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genres,  you  should check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Alderica"  "Ode  a  la  croix  clechee"  "la  procession  des  trepasses"  and  "L'ora  es  vunguda".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp

Facebook

Myspace

Spotify

YouTube