Misanthrope
Visionnaire

This is the fourth album from the French band Misanthrope, and it is definitely my favorite. The genre offered is experimental and avant-garde death metal, with many theatrical parts. The music is very technical and complicated, with particularly meticulous and simply perfect arrangements. Here, too, we are faced with a work that makes personality its strength; this is a true avant-garde album, as it does not draw on any other group in particular and is full of experimental parts.

The album includes 10 songs, 5 sung in English and 5 in French. The lyrics are inspired by the works of Molière, and they are true poems. Specifically, the French texts are the most successful, and the band deserves applause for the courage of this choice. The singing is very particular and theatrical, as S.A.S. De L'Argilière (singer, guitarist, and historical mind of the group) manages to continuously vary his growl, endowing it with an expressiveness completely out of the ordinary. It indeed sounds like hearing a theater actor performing in growl, as he is capable of modulating the tone in a thousand ways always in relation to the text. Even the parts in French work perfectly, contrary to what one might think, growl and French marry very well.
The music is very complex as the songs all have an odd and extraordinary form. In the lineup, there is also a keyboardist who enriches the pieces with various solos and with layers influenced by baroque music. The whole album is a continuous demonstration of technique, full of solos and well-cared arrangements. And there is room for the most diverse things: there are dissonant riffs followed by solos that grind scale after scale, as there are calm melodies (I would say almost dreamy) and angry parts that are almost brutal.
And in all this goodness emerges him, the bassist Jean-Jacques Moréac, a monster of technique and taste, certainly among the top 5 most complete metal bassists. He can be incredibly fast, performs solos in tapping, slap parts, occasionally uses strange effects, a true beast!!! What's unique about him is his taste in stepping back when needed: he knows how to showcase his technical skills but also knows when it is time to step into the background to support the group's music with normal accompaniment bass lines, and this is not a common trait among hyper-technical musicians.
The packaging is simply spectacular (as usual from Holy Records): it's a digipack with 4 card pages and includes a substantial booklet. What more could you ask from a package??? The production is perfect, curated by Fredrik Nordstrom at his Fredman Studio, and it was all recorded in just two weeks. Note the presence of a solo by Jesper Stromblad and some choirs by Anders Frieden (both members of In Flames).
The only flaw for me is the drums, overly triggered and plasticky, but I can overlook it without much angst. For the rest, it is an album simply perfect in every component, a true lesson in style for everyone. However, it remains a work challenging to listen to and may be indigestible for those who do not endure complicated music and technicalities. I highly recommend it to those seeking personal and refined music, and who listen without issues even to the most complex and strained works. It should be kept in mind that this is an album that does not immediately catch on; at least 10 listens are needed to understand it, and then it continues to grow; before learning all the details, it takes some time...