The title of this album could mean a few things, once you get into its general gist. Yep, they are a bunch of black metallers from France who wish to tempt the listener, I suspect, to the left hand path. However it might just be a plea to their listeners to let them have their fun with their interesting touch of Southern (US) metal. Its seems the French lads have been delving into the bayous and swamps of Louisiana for inspiration. Phil Anselmo and his various outlets figures high on their radar.. It certainly adds another layer of nuance to this brand of death metal.
Hell they even delve into a bit of the blues (ie: meet me at the crossroads, Robert Johnson, trading soul for musical talent etc) on the very non-traditional black metal of “In Every Grief-Stricken Blues" which one fellow reviewer dubbed “Blue Metal”. Grey metal might work better as it’s somewhere between blue & black. I digress. Its seems with this release the band are trying to stretch their legs a bit, away from the constraints of black metal. Methinks that Robert Johnson would be pleased.
It might horrify some black metal readers, but I rather enjoyed this album. Its always great to see a band try and do something that is slightly off the beaten path.
Fools Game: Reality Divine
Lyrics inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, W B Yeats, and H. P. Lovecraft with a heavy progressive tinge, makes for something that would peak my interest whatever. I am glad to say that this interest is well-rewarded on this nine track CD. With an international well-respected collection of musicians, it went from a one-man band to a full blown project very quickly.
Eclectic in the sense that each member brings a different style to the table from jazzy drumming, through Dream Theater-esque to vocals that at times remind me of Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider. This sort of melting pot approach to song-writing could be a disaster, but is instead quite enjoyable to the ear. Progressive and metallic in equal measure, this is what you want from your power prog. You will be relieved to know that on this, their debut, they have forsworn the epic 12 track 70+ minute opus for something shorter and far tighter.
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