FORTERESSE – Crepescule d’Octobre (Sepulchral Prod.)

by Janet Willlis

Forged in similar flames of past glories and lost cultures as the Scandinavian hordes, this Quebec based trio blazenly sets their own black flames to their heritage through epic and majestic black metal. The usual descriptors: dense, foggy, foresty, atmospheric, mystical, epic, cold, frosty, grim…blah blah apply here, but there’s a Hell of a lot more to Forteresse than the general terminology gives credit to.

I’d say that the best way to summarize Forteresse is to take the majestic and hypnotic medieval moods of Summoning and Helveto, add in some serious speed in the tremolo picking and blistering percussive rhythms that almost sound like hollow barbarian skin drums forming a war march, with some raw but molasses thick and chilling pagan melodies (Blut Aus Nord “Fathers of the Icy Ages” and “Ultima Thulee”). The vocals really scream through the mix like a banshee wailing in the night to reclaim territory once in it’s people’s possession.

Or better yet let it be said that: “Crepescule d’Octobre swells around the listener in a violent spool of haunting riffs and percussion battery that is akin to being inhaled by a whirlpool from a mysterious and vast cryogenic ocean, only to be frozen on the spot and then defrosted by the chaotic flailing and beating you’ll receive in the process and then spat out again”; so definitely expect your blood to freeze and boil one right after the other for the duration of this 6 song cryptic hymn to fallen brethren.

Definitely for fans of: Summoning, Wolves in the Throne Room, Blut Aus Nord, even recent Urfaust, 90’s era atmospheric and epic black metal sounds/bands.

Also highly recommend: (label mates) Neige et Noirceur and Borgne, Petrychor, and Csjethe.

Links:
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Forteresse/81106
http://www.last.fm/music/Forteresse
http://www.sepulchralproductions.com/pages/rel_en.php