Saturday 1 November 2014

Barabbas - Messe Pour Un Chien

Barabbas - Messe pour un chien

Album Type: Album
Date Released: 05th November 2014
Label: Self Released

Mess Pour Un Chien – Track Listing

La malédiction de Sainte Sélène
Le couteau ou l'abîme
Moi, le mâle omega
Judas est une femme
La beauté du diable
Priez
Le sabbat dans la cathédrale
Messe pour un chien

Bio

Since the year of our Lord 2007, Barabbas have been lavishing moral soothing, spiritual peace and irreversible tinnitus on the lost metallic sheep pushing at the doors of their Sonic Church of the Holy Redeemer Riff.

Apostles of a doom following the traditional Holy Trinity of Black Sabbath, Saint-Vitus and Cathedral, the french congregation have taken their time to personalise their catechism before preaching live (and sometimes in the desert…) and to concoct their first lead-plated communion: 33.33 minutes of monolithic canticles to redeem the sins of the new French chanson and regain the original innocence of Adam and Eve head banging in the garden of Eden.

Barabbas pardon those who are offended by the clumsy heaviness of their music, their relentless repetitiveness and their upfront refusal of subtlety. As frontman Saint Rodolphe, wisely put it: “The music of Barabbas may be boring to listen to, but playing it is even worse”

Members

Saint Rodolphe : la Voix des Anges
Saint Stéphane : les Accords du Diable
Saint Jérôme : les Bas Instincts
Saint Jean-Christophe : les Tambours du Sabbat

Review:

Barabbas debut album is a strange hybrid of Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Doom Metal and Stoner Metal. Primarily sang in French, this fearsome band has a growing reputation within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene with their take on all things metal. Their debut album - Messe Pour Un Chien - which translates as – Mass For A Dog. This is an album that I had a very hard time finding an emotional connection to. It's superbly put together but it didn't instantly draw me in until a few listens. So be warned that this is an album that needs your full-undivided attention. It's good that Barabbas don't follow the same route as other Doom/Stoner Metal bands, they forge their own path with a startling album packed full of emotion and heavy riffs.

I can't really compare Barabbas to any other band within the scene. Sure, the Saint Vitus and Black Sabbath references are there but the band has added a more distinctive NWOBHM feel to their sound. The album runs for around 58 mins or so and there is plenty for you to get through. The clean based vocals adds another doom and gloom dimension to the album as lead vocalist – Saint Rodolphe - snarls his way though almost every second that he appears. Barabbas has kindly provided me with the English Version of the lyrics and I can tell you they sing about some very bleak and dark things on the record.

Hopefully the English lyrics will appear on the Digital Download/CD Version of the album for people to experience the full effect of the album. Barabbas has put a lot of hard work into the lyrics no matter what language they are sang in. One thing you can't deny is the heavy as heck riffs they have created on their debut album. The 8 songs on the album are equally as good as each other. They all carry the same amount of heaviness and creativity to make this an excellent debut album to come out with. The different vibes maybe too jarring for some listeners but it takes a lot of guts for a band to come out with an album such as this. There is a huge wave of psychedelic riffs to discover as well especially towards the end of the album.

The instrumental work is played beautifully at all times but with a dreaded sense of danger lurking in the background as Barabbas take you on a heavy nightmarish journey that is fuelled by epic Doom/Stoner Metal riffs. to prove why Barabbas could be one of the bands at the forefront of the French Doom Metal Scene. Messe Pour Un Chien may not be to everyone's taste but if you're in the mood for a challenging and adventurous album then this album is a must have release. Barabbas definitely does have the potential to go very far within the Doom Metal scene. Let’s see what they come up with next.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Steph for sending me the promo to review. The album will be available to buy on DD and CD from November 5th 2014.

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