Like an idiot, I sort of lost track of L'Esprit du Clan sometime after 2007's "Chapitre III: Corpus Delicti", so when I recently looked them up I was psyched to learn that they'd released another full-length in 2009 and had a fifth on the way. So, I actually bought "Chapitre V: Drama" (released by the band's own label, La Casta) from iTunes the day it came out, and I don't think I've ever done that on iTunes before. The band hails from Paris, France and has been at it since 1995. While their early material essentially sounded like a French version of Merauder, they've morphed into more of a full-on metal band over the years, though I'd probably still argue that there's a hardcore/"metalcore" edge in there. Expect loads of galloping rhythms and thrashy chugging with just the right amount of melody tucked away, crushing breakdowns, dual-vocal trade-offs between assorted gruff sneers/scathing screams, etc. This time out there are even a couple of intense blasts and some dissonant, atmospheric riffing that almost touches on a mild black metal influence (granted it doesn't really come across as "black metal" in this context, and that's probably a good thing in terms of overall cohesion). As far as the band's more metal-based outings go, I'd say this material is a little more diverse overall, and (perhaps as a result) the songwriting's also heading in a stronger, more memorable direction. Of course, all of their lyrics have been in French since day one, so I can't really understand a word of it, but I still love 'em! I actually respect the fact that they don't give a shit about trying to achieve a wider range of success by singing in English, you know? They've been deserving of a lot more attention for years, though. They've always got absolutely sick, top-notch production values, and I could totally see them appealing to the type of audience that flips out over bands like Machine Head or whatever. I would imagine they're pretty "popular" in France? I hope so, 'cause they fuckin' should be! Check out a couple of their new tracks on Vimeo for a taste:
L'Esprit du Clan "Fils de Personne"
L'Esprit du Clan "Atheist Metal"
I'm seriously kicking myself for not following the band more closely after their third album. I've been a big fan of their work for many years, so I don't know what the hell my problem was!? This is a killer record and I'll always look forward to hearing more.
It's generally damn hard to get L'Esprit du Clan's shit here in the US, so I can't find physical copies available anywhere else that I'm familiar with. Thankfully they've got their more recent albums available digitally. If you like what you hear and are unfamiliar with the band's discography, I highly suggest checking out their early output as well. "Chapitre II: Reverence" is a particular favorite of mine...
Get It
L'Esprit du Clan (CD)
L'Esprit du Clan (LP)
Amazon.com (mp3)
iTunes (mp3)
Comments
I think that Chapitre III made bigger impression on me when I heard it but this still sound very good. And I love the “illustrations” in videos (although the second is more pictures with music than video).
France “scene” was always interesting.
9.12.2011 | By Carlos
God damn ... I’ll do you one better; I lost track of these guys after buying (and loving) Révérence back when you first posted about it. This sounds pretty different from what I remember of that album (like you said, they’ve gone full-on metal), but this is damn good stuff. Looks like I’ll have to check out Chapitres III-V.
9.15.2011 | By zg
Wow! This review sounds exactly like if I had writted it. I mean - I accidently stubled across this band on YopuTube, then got Corpus Delicti and loved it… and then I was caught off guard by their two later albums, realising they had come out months after they did. I actually found out about this one today and from the clips I assume i’ll love it as well. Thanks!
12.29.2011 | By SepulTeraHead