A languid, raw, sensitive, literate, true and sincere piece of Atmospheric Black Metal offered to us all by a multi-talented musician hailing from France.

Mastering by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden Recording Studios, and showcasing a stylish artworks by Dehn Sora, the obscure Liernes, by Paris, France-based Atmospheric Black Metal one-man project Limbes, is the logical continuation of the previous album Écluse, from 2021, a languid, raw, sensitive, literate, true and sincere piece of Black Metal. However, it differs from the latter by a more accessible approach than in the past. Thus, long and atmospheric tracks mingle with the usual torrents of hypersensitivity by the project’s mastermind, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Guillaume Galaup, all embraced by the Stygian poetry by Marie “Ciguë” Husson, turning the album into a must-listen for fans of Wolves In The Throne Room, Ultha, and Paramnesia.

Pied de Pilori, or “pillory foot”, sounds absolutely atmospheric from the very first notes, with Guillaume building a dense and enfolding ambience that will puts us all in a trace, exploding halfway through it into sheer violence and obscurity, with his harsh vociferations and visceral guitars piercing our souls and minds. Les Côtes à l’Unisson, or “coasts in unison”, also begins in a serene and gentle manner, this time sounding even more atmospheric than the opening track with Guillaume focusing on more delicate sounds like the background synths without forgetting to add heaviness to the music through his beats and guitars; whereas featuring guest vocals by Russian artist Kariti, Buffet Frigide is a lecture in Atmospheric Black Metal made in France, with the sound of all instruments by Guillaume building the perfect stage for Kariti to shine with her hypnotizing vocals, alternating between pure ethereal moments and more vicious sounds where Guillaume darkly roars together with Kariti, instantly connecting with the pulverizing Aulnes & Poussières, or “alders and dust”, where once again our lone wolf hammers all his instruments in the name of dark and caustic metal music, always adding his share of insanity to it through his anguished gnarls, ending in sheer melancholy.

The music by Limbes is definitely not an easy listen for the average music fan, demanding time and focus to absorb all the elements crafted by Guillaume during each one of the lengthy songs from the album, but once it hits you, then you’ll have an amazing experience listening to the album in its entirety. Furthermore, you can get more details about Guillaume and his Limbes by visiting the project’s Facebook and Instagram, stream more of his music on Spotify, and buy the excellent Liernes from his own BandCamp page, from the Frozen Records website, or by clicking HERE. Guillaume was truly inspired when composing his new album under his Limbes project, and I highly recommend you listen to the album to the smallest detail to capture all the passion, agony, pain and darkness overflowing from each song, therefore helping place Limbes as one of the must-see names of the modern extreme music scene.

Best moments of the album: Pied de Pilori and Buffet Frigide.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Frozen Records

Track listing
1. Pied de Pilori 11:36
2. Les Côtes à l’Unisson 6:54
3. Buffet Frigide 12:13
4. Aulnes & Poussières 10:49

Band members
Guillaume Galaup – vocals, all instruments

Guest musician
Kariti – vocals on “Buffet Frigide”