L'ARBRE-CIMETIÈRE

Maldoror takes its name from the work Les Chants de Maldoror (The Songs of Maldoror) by Isidore Lucien Ducasse known by his pseudonym of Comte de Lautréamont. It is about a misanthropic man named Maldoror that has renounced all his ties to humanity and its moral laws, but it has no clear plot to it. In this album they incorporate some of this work along with other sources like Arthur Rimbaud poem - Le Bal Des Pendus (Hanged Men's Ball).

This music feels as though you have entered into a mystic, mysterious and dark tale of old. It is reinforced by the lyrics, which are old fashioned, and of high level, some of it even taken from the great poet Arthur Rimbaud. The vocals, to me, are one of the highlights of this album. They are deep, emotional, and even sensual, with a wide range, fitting the music spirit perfectly. The music is melancholic, as are the lyrics. It is mostly in slow tempo with some parts being faster, but this does not mean the songs lack energy. On the contrary, they all have much power and dynamics and I hardly notice the tempo of the song being slow. I get carried away in the brilliant tunes created by this talented band. The music sounds at time as old French folk themes adapted to modern standards. On other occasions it is more aggressive with the guitars giving a rougher edge to the songs, and it is always enhanced and even fueled by the excellent vocal performance.

This deserves to receive a 5 stars rating since not only it gives me great pleasure listening to it, but I find that this album is built and structured in a fabulous way, leading you through this voyage in the Cemetery-Tree. Each song gives another aspect to the album, adds more emotions and textures to the music. In my opinion, the album as a whole is a brilliant work, and even listening to each song separately is an enjoyable experience. But I will give it 4 stars as it is not exactly there, in the masterpieces position just yet. But not far from it too... Get this!