Cauchemar is a French-Canadian
Metal/Doom band from Papineau Regional County in the province of Quebec (it’s a
town close to Montreal for those unfamiliar with it). They’ve just had the
album launch for their latest album, their fourth, Rosa Mystica, this past weekend at Piranha Bar in Montreal, as I
posted on the Harbinger’s Twitter page on Saturday. The record was released in
May but completely flew under the radar for me, I’m ashamed to say, for a band
from my neck of the woods (i.e. Montreal). This unfortunate oversight will be
remedied in this edition of Musings.
The quartet led by the
charismatic Annick Giroux has been around since 2007, releasing three albums
and an EP so far. It’s been six years since their last record, Chapelle ardente, which was their best album
in my opinion. Rosa Mystica follows
in the same vein, expanding on their signature mystical and dark themes. It was
well worth the six-year gap between albums. What I really love about this band
is how effortless everything sounds, they really play as one cohesive unit. The
fact that the songs are in French is a big bonus for me (French being my first
language) and a breath of fresh air as even in Montreal (or in Quebec in
general), there are very few metal bands who sing in French. Well, good metal bands, anyway.
On to this magical album, shall
we? “Jour de colère” (Day of Wrath) is a foreboding doomy tune with a quiet
intro and echoes of NWOBHM sound that I love so much. A terrific riff-heavy song.
“Rouge sang” (Blood-Red) is catchy as hell and evokes nostalgia of the heydays
of metal. The organ-driven “Notre-Dame-sous-Terre” has atmosphere to boot and
killer guitars. “Danger de nuit” (Danger of Night) is a kick-ass rock song with
great lyrics, and easily the most accessible song on the album. “Rosa Mystica”,
the title track, is a superb song with a gorgeous mid-section. A definite
highlight! “Le tombeau de l’aube” (Dawn’s Tomb) is the shortest track here running
just under three minutes in length, a quick and energetic number to get your blood
pumping. “Volcan” (Volcano) is another highlight with its sing-along chorus and
fiery guitar. “La sorcière” (The Witch) is my favourite track, with its slow
start before taking flight. It’s an absolute gem of a song and Giroux shines particularly
here on vocals. A very hypnotic tune and the doomiest song on the record. I
recommend watching the videoclip that they did for the song on YouTube, it’s a beauty!
I’m still on the fence as to
which of Cauchemar’s records is my favourite: 2016’s Chapelle ardente or this year’s Rosa
Mystica. They’re different beasts chock-full of memorable songs and
mystical songwriting. In fact, there isn’t a single dud on either record. I’d
say that Rosa Mystica is certainly their
most accessible record to date and their most polished. Perhaps also the one
that has the most “rock” vibe as opposed to falling into the more metal/doom
categories of their previous efforts. It’s without a doubt one of the best
records of the summer (and I’m sure it’ll wind up on my top albums of the year
list when the time comes). Whether you’re into traditional/old school metal and/or
doom, or even if you just enjoy straight-up rock, you’ll have a blast with Cauchemar’s
latest, regardless of whether you speak French or not. Pick up Rosa Mystica at your earliest
convenience.
Cauchemar on Bandcamp: https://cauchemar.bandcamp.com/music
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