Meurtrières is a traditional
heavy metal quintet from Lyon, France. They’ve just released their first LP, Ronde de nuit (“Night Patrol” in English),
a follow-up to their 2020 self-titled debut EP. The band has had a change in
their lineup, going from Fleur on lead vocals on the EP to their current
singer, Fiona, for this new record.
I loved Meurtrières’ (“Arrowslits”
in English) debut EP. It showcased a band with a lot of promise, made-up of
proficient musicians and a great female lead. A couple of years and a new
singer later (who sounds very similar to their previous), Meurtrières delivers
a brilliant old school heavy metal LP. One of the things I love is that they
sing in French, and since French is my first language, I always have a soft
spot for French metal when done well. And this, ladies and gents, is done extremely
well. From the fantastic opener, “Rubicon”, which was also the first single, we
get a double guitar threat and everything a fan of late ‘70s/early ‘80s metal could want. “Aucun homme, aucun dogme, aucune croix” follows, an
occult-flavoured tune with a catchy NWOBHM-inspired riff. “Tempête &
Naufrage” (“Storm & Shipwrecked” in English) is one of the record’s
highlights, featuring a killer riff again with dual guitar solo. “Ronde de nuit”,
the title track and second single, is reminiscent of early Iron Maiden and one
of my faves of the LP. “Alma Mater” is a fast song and maybe the catchiest of
the entire album. “Chevaleresses du chaos” (“Knightesses of Chaos” in English),
the third single, is a song about a bloody battle of knights full of galloping
guitars and is my pick for best track of the LP. This song perfectly captures
the essence of the band. “La revenante” closes the set with its catchy chorus,
a tune about a ghostly woman, leaving us with terrific guitar work and a pounding
rhythm section.
Meurtrières’ Ronde
de nuit is all killer, no filler. Fiona’s siren voice leads the
sonic assault throughout and I think I like her slightly more than Fleur on
vocals. It’s a spectacular album with medieval leanings and songs about castles,
fortresses, and battles. If you’re into old school metal with a modern edge or miss
the glory days of NWOBHM when bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Saxon
ruled the land, then you’ll enjoy this LP immensely. Their music also reminds
me of local Canuck doom metal band Cauchemar, who also sing in French. Ronde de nuit gets my vote for Album of
the Month.
Meurtrières on Bandcamp: https://meurtrieres.bandcamp.com/
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