HÉR — Monochrome
HÉR is a sort of cinematic folk or experimental post-punk project, which takes influence from traditional Viking music. Despite being released on Season of Mist, their debut Monochrome is not metal of any kind, but rather a soundtracky landscape of tribal drums, chants, plodding bass guitar and circular string figures.
It certainly starts in a standard fantasy TV soundtrack vein (Vikings, Game of Thrones, etc), with the ten-minute opener, "Chant", but every element feels organic and elegantly executed, with the vivid timbres of live instruments, in charismatic performances. I am pleased by the addition of a growling saxophone in many sections of the music, a curious deviation from the Viking and folk aesthetics that turns out to work perfectly, with the instrument's propensity for aggression. The expressive, throaty way in which Piotr Checki shapes the instrument's growls would make Colin Stetson or Mats Gustaffson proud.
The second track, "Needles and Bark" reveals other eclectic sides of the band, shifting into a sort of eerie gothic new wave that recalls Legendary Pink Dots. This track introduces synth pads and a wholly different style of vocals from the first piece, ethereal singing and baritone spoken lyrics which remind me of Swans or various 4AD acts. "Going Down" has a picked post punk bass guitar alongside the Viking-esque strings and hand drums, in another curiously anachronistic blend, and appears again many other times as the album progresses, to the point that the album feels almost likea form of rock that is lacking a typical drum set.
Although this group focuses on different localities of history than David Tibet, the reverent spirit with which this group approaches history reminds me of Current 93, or perhaps Dead Can Dance. Like C93's best eras, this album imbues folk music with a magickal energy, and the music seems to glow, thanks in part to the vividly clear and lush production. Like Dead Can Dance, they use history to say something about their own feelings and about modernity.
At forty two minutes, it seems to be over in an instant. The closer "Farewell" has some of the most lovely and poignant string melodies on the album.
Though it may take some exposure to sus what it is about, this is a very well-crafted album of music on the boundary of historical European folk and modern post-industrial counterculture, with a fearless attitude towards combining all of music into a single narrative. Each familiar nod to the past is countered with some difficult-to-place introspective emotion directly from the present. It is good to know the adventurous spirit that made the original post-punk scene exciting is alive and well.