Elend
Leçons de Ténèbres

Close your eyes, turn off the light. Let the darkness embrace you and devour you with its dreadful jaws. Now insert the earbuds into your ears (in my opinion, the best way to listen to certain music) and press the play button.

The Gregorian chant, strictly in Latin, and the carpet of synthesizers from the title track perfectly describe the tone of the entire work, Leçons de Ténèbres (the first effort of Elend) a verbatim French translation of the Latin Officium Tenebrarum, which also gives the title to a trilogy of which this album is the inaugural chapter.

A very brief illustration of what the Officium Tenebrarum was is a must: between Wednesday and Friday of Holy Week, masses were officiated completely in the dark, except for a hidden candle. At the end of such masses, silence would fall, abruptly interrupted by the cries of the faithful, indicating the horror and despair after the death of Christ. But those cries would subside when the priest showed everyone that single lit candle, symbolizing the resurrection of the Son of God.

Well, if after all this, you expect the album to have the same progression as the Officium Tenebrarum, you are mistaken. The darkness that creeps into the listener’s ears in this work will have no end but will instead become increasingly bleak and unsettling, blacker even than Vantablack (which, for those who don't know, is the blackest material that exists). In Leçons de Ténèbres, there is no space for light, peace, or serenity. As if the oppressive and utterly stifling atmosphere generated by the music wasn't enough, Elend also add the use of screaming: inhuman and dehumanizing screams, desperate, nightmares turned into voice, leading the listener's psyche to get lost in the dark paths of the music proposed by this French duo. In all respects, we could consider Leçons de Ténèbres a black metal album stripped of the impenetrable hardness of the typical instruments of this genre, such as guitar, drums, and bass. Even the lyrics are typically black metal; an example above all: "The sky is open wide, The black pit masking the light: The Kingdom of evil. The clouds have drawn the Pentagram, This, the time to be what I am." [from Eclipse]

Beyond the aforementioned screaming voice, a particular disquiet is given by the clean voice often either whispered or similar to a lullaby, which makes it all the more gloomy.

A special mention for the last song of the album, The Emperor, which begins with an atmosphere slightly more relaxed, albeit very grim, compared to other songs. But then the demonic screaming returns and, along with it, the music reaches heights of darkness that are rarely seen. All seasoned with celestial choruses that, instead of easing the tension, increase it, making it even more horrifying. Absolute masterpiece.

In conclusion, I do not hesitate to define Leçons de Ténèbres (even though, I admit, it is the first Elend album I have listened to and I am missing the subsequent two chapters of the trilogy) as the darkest and most unsettling album I have come across recently, even coming from very dark and, at times, extreme metal listening experiences.

Regions of Sorrow, doleful shades, where peace And rest can never dwell; hope never comes...