Death Mercedes

Album Title: 
Sans Éclats
Release Date: 
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Review Type: 

One of the advantages of the growing use of Internet, include the fact that smaller labels, which before would never have had the financial means (mailing costs simply being too high, alongside to the fact that the copies sent would be lost for sales) to send you promotional copies of their releases. Nowadays, the music journalist is invited to make his/her acquaintance with bands which (s)he may otherwize only have come across by chance. And with that in mind, smaller record companies now have a bigger chance on survival, especially when they focus on releasing their stuff on vinyl...because the real fan (as opposed to the heap of mindless music-consumers who simply download/ rip music onto their mp3-players, to discard it when they're fed up with it) will always prefer to get his/her hands on such a goodie, rather than just downloading the music. The French Throatruiner Records, for instance, have thus far released stuff for some 30 different bands (different as in ranging from Hardcore and Punk to Black Metal), among which the most resounding names are perhaps Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire, Comity, Daggers, Ken Mode, and Verdun!

A relatively new release on the label (it doés date to December of last) is the 7-inch EP at hand! This 2011 formed Parisian outfit is however no obscure entity to the Alternative/Hardcore scene in France, as members of the band came from other acts, some of which relatively notorious : singer Julien Henri was formerly with Sickbag, guitarist/ backing singer Bruno Chaouch came from Ravi, guitarist Antoine Goubard from the more than excellent Amando Woodward, and the rhythm section of bassist Adrien Cabot and drummer Loïc Salmon was formerly active in L'Homme Puma. They do their thing in their own native language, which gives the whole an almost exotic feel. Nailing down they band's sound is however another thing, the passionate Hardcore Punk taking passing influences from other genres (Crust, Screamo, etc...) to embellish the whole. One element which is however consistent, is a certain progressive touch to the arrangements and guitar interplay...in fact to the whole instrumental side of the music. The guys nevertheless manage to keep things seemingly simple by incorporating swirling melodies (which must be somewhat of a challenge to the musicians nevertheless) in their overall loud-sounding madness.

The guys are already at their second release by the way, the 7-track Du Soleil Refroidi having been released in October 2011 (and that mày have been through the Communication Is Not A Word and Never Dead Records imprints). The current 10-track album (which has a length of a mere 28 minutes) was recorded at Sainte-Marthe Studio, with producer Francis Caste (of kickback, Comity and Hangman's Chair repute) making sure that top sound quality was ensured for this very emotional release. At (http://) throatruinerrecords.com, you'll find a possibility to listen to the album's song “Borgne Et Aussi Aveugle”, but really you're much better off going to (http://) deathmercedes.bandcamp.com, where you can listen to both of the band's releases. If there's a problem, you can still find the Du Soleil Refroidi songs posted in the “Band Profile” section at (www.) facebook.com/Death-Mercedes!  Enjoy...and consider getting a copy of the 12-inch, but decide quickly, as the thing may already have been sold out... I wouldn't wonder, because what with the quality of the offering, it is a rare treat!

92/100