ALBUM REVIEW: Erlen Meyer, “Sang et Or”

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 25/01/2019

Label: Argonauta Records

 

Erlen Meyer's fusion of intense post-hardcore and lumbering post-metal is like Will Haven screaming into Cult of Luna's wall of sound or the heaviest moments of the much-missed Kruger.

“Sang et Or” CD//DD track listing:

1. Coton Cardé
2. Rouge Cardinal
3. Vipères
4. Grand Duc
5. Re Ar Fi La
6. Le Chant de l’Hydre
7. Enfer Forgé
8. Trompe l’Oeil

The Review:

Erlen Meyer's “Sang et Or” has been a long time coming. It's been six years since the Limoges quintet released their debut LP and three years since their fearsome Damnation Festival performance left a smoking crater in the centre of Leeds. Thankfully this new collection is worth the wait.

“Coton Cardé” immediately creates an air of dark mystery with a series of sparse, clanging chords. This atmosphere is soon dispelled by the weight of the band rumbling into high gear. Erlen Meyer's fusion of intense post-hardcore and lumbering post-metal is an intoxicating brew, like Will Haven screaming into Cult of Luna's wall of sound or the heaviest moments of the much-missed Kruger.

What separates Erlen Meyer from the legion of acts with similar influences is their execution. Instead of focusing on obvious quiet / loud and build / release dynamics the band yield maximum heaviness via subtle changes to their relentless single-minded onslaught. This is most evident on the mighty “Re Ar Fi La” where chiming melodies snake their way through shifting tempos against a smoky, ghostly backdrop. Elsewhere, unexpected eruptions of blastbeats in “Enfer Forgé” and “Rouge Cardinal” shift the tracks into black metal territory. This fits perfectly with the eerie atmosphere that hangs over the whole album like a dense fog. This mood is enhanced by the spooky Theremin-like keyboards at the end of “Rouge Cardinal” and the restrained bombast of spoken-word closer “Trompe I'Oeil” that highlight the influence of Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock's work on “Sang et Or”.

“Sang et Or” is an impressive offering from Erlen Meyer that shows post-metal can still sound crushing and vital. Hopefully it won't be another six years until the next time.

“Sang et Or” is available HERE

Band info: facebook