Arkaist - Aube Noire

Arkaist is a black metal band from France that formed in 2023.  After just a couple of years of existence, they have dropped their full-length debut album, “Aube Noire.”  This is a mature effort that immediately puts the band on a good, strong path. 

According to the press release, the album was inspired by a growing atmosphere of anxiety while exploring themes of decadence, loss of bearing and growling isolation in a society in decline.  

That’s a lot of heavy, in depth subject matter but it fits the album’s atmosphere well.  It’s a dark album with its own identity that leans into a raw format (but not overly so) with well-thought song compositions.  The atmosphere is as icy as it is bleak but doesn’t stop the band from having a raging fury.  

Although I like black metal of all styles, I tend to prefer the stuff that takes the tried and true formula of the genre’s roots and uses it as a jumping board of sorts to forge a new identity all together.   Arkaist have done that here, creating an album that has an air of familiarity to it but also sounds different than anything I’ve heard this year under the blackened umbrella. 

The title track opens with the album—it fires right out of the gate with a start/stop tempo before diving fully into the howling winds of a storm. The vocals are great, throating screams/growls that are as important as the music—there is incredible synergy between the instruments and the vocals on this song but also the album as a whole. 

“Prophète du sang,” showcases the band’s atmospheric side and their willingness to step outside the boxes.  The beginning has a subtle approach that gives the song a sprawling feel but the drums help a lot with that as well.  The vocals keep it grounded even as the song moves outward like a miasma.  Around the two minute mark, it changes into a more riff focused structure.  This song displays how the band can stay grounded in black metal while still keeping it fresh and interesting.

“Anachorète,” is one of my favorites on the album, using the mix in a clever way to bring the song to the forefront like a storm coming in and get louder as it threatens to hover above you. Before the two minute mark even passes by, that storm is in full-force.  I especially like the drumming, which is very pervasive.   The tempo pulls back a bit in the mid section and it works wonders for song’s atmospheric tendencies.  

“Puer Aeternus,” hits with a steady groove that is surprisingly catchy.  The vocals are their best here, a violent outburst against blackened music that is both arresting and moody.  The clean vocals are a nice twist too and makes the song even more catchy.  

“Aube Noire,” is a highly engaging black metal album from a band with a lot of well meaning ideas.  I can’t wait to see what else they do in the future, especially if they can take this blueprint and move it forward. 

Rating:  Great