Orphique - Consécration Cadavérique (2022)

Canada continues to amaze us with their Black Metal talent, with bands like Délétère, Monarque, and Forteresse leading the way, there are plenty of additional bands with unique and explosive styles such as Orphique. As a one-man project of David Potter, “Consécration Cadavérique” perfectly blends multiple styles with sheer brutality and intensity to create a very powerful and punishing release.

Opening with the moody “Onirique”, the band unleashes a crushing opening that slowly transitions into more melodic and sinister territories. We love how the track transitions into heavy atmospherics and a slower pace and then it jumps back at the listener with sheer brutality. If the first highly impressive track did not hook the listener, “Vampirique” and “Chromatique” combine lush atmospherics, crafty acoustic guitars and a mixture of high-octane onslaughts and dreamy interludes.

With a certain Virgin Black-esque meets Depressive Black Metal vibes, “Chimérique” delivers solemn piano parts and hellish vocals to nicely show a different layer of the band. The band’s aggressive core shines again with the demolishing “Sporadique” and its very cinematic and expansive nature. While not as flashy as most Atmospheric Black Metal releases, this track shows fragility in between sheer power, a skill tricky to master, particularly for newer bands.

Overall, “Consécration Cadavérique” is a punishing and yet highly rewarding release with expertly crafted tempo changes and lush atmospherics. Far from linear, Orphique masterfully blends a plethora of styles and energies in the five tracks presented in this release. If you like the unconventional Black Metal produced by the Canadian scene, and love some Post-Black Metal elements sprinkled in your music, this is an album you can’t miss out on.

Label: Sepulchral Productions

Release: November 24th, 2022

Genre: Black/Post-Black Metal

Country: Canada