Chier — Cabaret Du Neant

Cabaret Du Neant (Tavern of the Dead) is another double CDR’s worth of bleak & darkly perverse walled noise from this Toulouse based project. It follows up from last years Nature Morte- which also appeared as a self release available in both CDR & digital form.

The release comes in a fairly similar packaging to Nature Morte-the cover is a murky/lo-fi grim affair, that features collages of naked females & skulls/bones- the whole thing has an almost underground black metal feel, with the projects logo looking that way too. The two plain white CDRs feature stamp on project name & disc number.

Each CDR features two tracks, and all four of these have similar barren, yet intense wind swept feel to them. They each have running times between twenty six & nearing fifty minutes, and if you enjoyed Nature Morte you’ll certainly find this release equally satisfying in its buffeting ‘n’ battering wall bleakness.

So first up we have disc one, and this entitled Salle D'intoxication. And it features "Salle D'intoxication I & II". Part one is a just over thirty minute ‘wall’ that’s built around a stark yet unrelenting blend of low-end wind buffeting( or flame flicking), and tighter more grainy static jitter- together these create a feeling of ancient & grim solitude. The ‘wall’ is fairly simple & fixed in its make-up, yet there is a little subtle movement in both elements-it’s a nicely grim start to proceedings.

Next of course we have "Salle D'intoxication II", and this is the longer of the two tracks on disc one at 49.52. The track is sequenced directly in from the first track, so you get a rewarding jolt when the two walls switch. To start with it’s a more rapid blend of flaming/ buffeting low-end, which is seared by crisp static jittering. With-in a few minutes the whole thing has become dense, more rapid, and constricting- as we get a thick weave of several layers of buffeting/ churning low-end, and more spiteful spiting, popping, and snapping static texturing. As the track moves on we get some nice subtle shifts from both of the main textures- going from more simplistic textural dips, to on/off ear seared sudden pattern pile-ups, and back to blends of rapid buffeting & keen/ dense crisp static play. This track is way more intense than the first track, yet it still retains the feeling of barren bleak-ness.

Moving onto disc two, and this is entitled Salle Du Caveau, and it features "Salle Du Caveau I & II".  And first up we of course have I- this is the longer of the two tracks here 49.07 mark, and it brings up seared yet unbalanced bit of ‘wall-craft’. It’s built around a trudging ‘n’ tumbling meaty judder, and this is wrapped in a surrounding mass of pinprick like crackling ‘n’ slowly churning static. This texturally  blend creates a great feeling of awkward juxtaposition, with ones mind keep thinking that the low-end with sudden complete shift- yet it never does. As the track progresses the whole starts to feel more & more wrong sounding- but I don’t think it’s really shifting much in reality, it’s just screwing with ones head. Also as the minutes tick by the pace seems to be slowing too, creating this awkward sort sludge & buffeting feel which is most effective ; yet latter–on it seems to speed back up again( again I'm not sure if this is really happening or not!?). All told it’s a very clever, head-fucking, and entrancing bit of ‘wall-craft’- which stands as my favourite moment on this release.

Lastly of course we have "Salle Du Caveau II", and this just twenty six minute wall brings together locked road-sweeping like machine droning, with this range of snapping mid range patterns- which seem to increase as the track progresses.  Also as it goes on the drone becomes thicker, murky/meaty & more pronounced in its churning yet grimly malevolent maelstrom. This wall has a rather original & creative blend of textures- I’m not sure if( in my mind) it really fits the theme of the release, and the other tracks. But it’s never the less a creative & worthy bit of wall-matter.

All told I’d say this release nicely continues the rewarding battering bleak-ness of Nature Morte, but adds some interesting & creative edge to the proceedings. Chier is certainly one of the more consistent & creative ‘wall’ artists to appear from the Euro wall scene in the last year, and I very much hearing more of their work!.