Style: Post-metal/Sludge (Instrumental)
Review by: Callum
Country: Belgium
Release date: October 2, 2020
Particularly for underground bands, there is a fine line between having unique peculiarities that separate one from the herd and being gimmicky. Briqueville exhibits three ‘peculiarities’ at least. First, technically this band’s true moniker is B R I Q U E V I L L E, capital letters and spaces included. Aside from being awkward (but thankfully unnecessary) to google, this branding unquestionably catches the eye. Second, they are an anonymous collective of musicians based in Belgium who have so far only been seen live wearing black robes and golden-beaked masks. Using costume and theatrics to preserve anonymity is not an unfamiliar concept, especially in the metal scene (see GWAR, Ghost, Sleep Token, Slipknot etc.). At a live performance, this can be effective in removing the fallible human faces from the band, and allowing the audience to focus solely on the music and atmosphere being generated. Finally, each track on Quelle is titled as an individual ‘Akte’. It’s a direct continuation of their previous two releases in that it begins with “Akte VIII” right where II left off. This method of track labelling encourages the thought that all of these releases combined create a monolithic body of work designed to be listened to chronologically. However, this also creates the risk of tracks losing their identity in the mix, and making it difficult to find and revisit memorable moments.
Peculiarities aside, Quelle is a heavy hitting instrumental record dripping with sludge and doom elements. Out of the gate, “Akte VIII” opens with a dark synthesised drone that extends throughout most of the song before a pounding drum rhythm and a sludgy guitar riff kick in. The following ‘Akte’ continues building a sense of dread with doom-style riffs reminiscent of Electric Wizard without the fuzz, or a slowed down Crack the Skye à la Mastodon. Sound effects also play a large part in creating the uneasy atmosphere, especially notable in “Akte X” the record’s longest track at almost 15 minutes. The first three minutes are dedicated to an uneasy soundscape of inhuman noises that slowly mellow into a singular drone and an ISIS-like groove between drums and guitars. Giving this track plenty of time to breathe was justified, as the inevitable heavy section (at 10 minutes in) feels like it drops in from a significant height. Bonus points are awarded for the impeccable use of a hammered dulcimer.
Similarities to The Ocean are noticeable here and there, particularly in Aktes X, XII, and XIV, which is perhaps not coincidental as Quelle was also released on Pelagic Records. It is worth mentioning that this record is claimed to be the first from the label recorded and released during the current global pandemic. Tracking and mixing for individual instruments was done separately in various home studios. This is a feat in itself, and the record generally sounds very well produced, achieving the towering rises and crushing falls that suit an atmospheric metal album. Unfortunately, there are moments where the production suffers that can be distracting. Transitions from XI to XII, and XII to XIII, for example, sound slightly clumsy. At 3:21 in XIII, the transition to the heavy riff sounds as if the slider for the distorted guitar was pushed just a hair too early. Again in XIII, at 5:30 there is an extremely subtle bump to the volume. I’m nit-picking here, but subtle or not, several of these small irregularities shook me out of the trance that Briqueville otherwise lulls me into.
Recommended tracks: Akte X, Akte XII, Akte XIV
Recommended for fans of: The Ocean, ISIS, Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Final verdict: 6.5/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Label: Pelagic Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook | Twitter
BRIQUEVILLE is:
– Anonymous
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