Silcharde — De Martyrs A Bourreaux
Silcharde are a French dark ambient project who have been around since 2009, and thus far have released six full lengths which have taken in CDR & CD releases. Apparently their early work had shamanic/ ritual leanings, but this new work is more of an pitch black mixture of grim ambient textures, sound effects, runway industrial textures & electro beat elements.
This CD album offers up eight tracks in all that last between just over the nine minute mark to just over the fourteen minute mark. The inlay booklet features pictures of rundown tunnels with ghoulish hands appearing from their walls, and blood stained subterranean rooms. This artwork nicely sums up what you get here, as to me the album feels like it’s the soundtrack to some post- apocalyptic story that takes place in a creepy & often dangerous underground world. Each track here offers up a bed of brooding 'n' dank/dark ambient drifts ‘n’ ebbs, then Silcharde add on top all manner of nightmarish ‘n’ creepy sound matter. We have: weird moans/ cries, footsteps, all manner of metal clanking, dragging, and aged wirings, macabre drilling tones, air raid sirens, subterranean water swills & swishes, and all manner of uneasy sound detail. Add to this you get sudden pummelling & runway industrial textures/ electro beats.
In conclusion “De Martyrs A Bourreaux” is an effective enough ride into dark ambience and horror soundtracking. With Silcharde nicely managing to create dread, panic & fear effectively through-out.