Seth’s  debut full-length ‘Les blessures de l’âme’ was of a caliber very rarely found in the French black metal scene. Yet in many aspects, the newest studio album stems from the 2021 album ‘La Morsure du Christ’. Seth embraces the revolutionary themes with the lyrical context of the album focusing on the eight new songs. More importantly, however, it feels inspired by the second wave of black metal which remarks a melodic quality of the highest musical achievement.

The opening track ‘Paris des Maléfices’ holds listeners spellbound by such grace and beauty that it enthralls you. The songs have depth and are wonderfully driven by the grandiosity of the riffing. Like a revolutionary storm, the music is unsettling in its ominousness and dark, gothic melodies. Yet the drums reach the climax on the following song ‘Et Que Vive le Diable!’ The thundering blast beats infuse energy and dynamics into the blood, giving us a grim setting of the raspy vicious vocals.

The seventh album has that symphonic sound. The keyboard parts and the furious riffs emphasized on harsh and melodic sections that provide glorious moments; with the percussion presented with belligerence. The tremolo-picked riffs give the aesthetic and the grim appeal of symphonic/melodic black metal, offering atmosphere and orchestral arrangements. It is therefore no surprise that Seth retains the quality level in other songs like ‘La Destruction des Reliques’. This song combines aggressive rhythms and fast blast beats. The finesse of the orchestral textures allows the keyboards in the background to shine. The dual guitars have supreme effectiveness for melodies and the maelstrom rapid blast beats bind mid-tempo with softer parts.

In the seventh album, Seth evokes the dark, gothic side of nineties black metal where the sextet brings a memorable performance to the keen ears, thus unfurling beautiful tremolo and power chords, weaving a lush symphonic splendidness. Further songs like ‘Dans le Cœur un Poignard’ showcase the creativity of the keyboards and this cinematic solemnity of epic scope perfectly complements the strumming of the guitars.

The riffing offers a scale that feels proportionate to the ethereal atmosphere. One can be rather impressed by the composition that combines a perfect fusion of instruments and the synthesizer to craft majestic landscapes. Apart from creating celestial beauty, the songs are wonderfully crafted.

One of the aspects that make ‘La France des Maudits’ a majestic album is the excellent performance and the top-notch production. While there is more to uncover in the instrumental interlude ‘Marianne’ it somehow shows the artistic penchant for exploring new musical grounds.

Sounding romantic and dark ‘Ivre du Sang des Saints’ is noteworthy for the keyboard intro, the guitars which are beautifully layered over the symphonic overtures. The drumming combines double bass, relying on fast and relentless blast beats, then altering between the aggressive riffing and slower mid-tempo parts.

The cinematic elements crafted by the keyboards are unique and unforgettable. The furious drums taking a super-pounding role on ‘Insurrection’ which is one of the heaviest and most vicious songs on the album. The furious drums and the tremolo-picked riffs perfectly fit the trademark of Seth. All of these grand elements render an incredible agility and give the music a powerful quality. The grim atmosphere is coupled with bombastic symphonic arrangements, thus giving the song a heavier, more melodic approach. The distinctive performance of the vocals presents demonic growls.

The closing track ‘Le Vin du Condamné’ captures the symphonic essence of Seth. The excellent use of the synth fuses the epic atmosphere with the heavy riffing textures, atmospheric keyboards and pounding drums. This eight-minute track is full of bombastic hooks and the tremolo-picked riffs are kept unpretentious, despite the catchy melodies and the surge of the ethereal symphonies, emphasizing the atmosphere with a haunting choir and the drums conjuring maelstrom of blast beats.

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