Quebecers sing in French without an accent. This is a preconceived idea that only suits female pop singers and that, in their time, Robert Charlebois, Félix Leclerc and, even more so, in the world of prog, Serge Fiori (Harmonium) have finished dismantling. In a completely different register, Thrash La Reine, a young heavy metal band from Montreal, continues to deconstruct the urban legend on their new album "Notre-Dame de l'Enfer" released this fall.
Don't be fooled by their name because apart from a few tracks with a fast tempo ('Les Trois Diables', 'Opération Neptune'), no thrash this time but a much more traditional heavy metal, contrary to their EP released in 2019 "La Foi, La Loi, La Croix" (to be listened to as well because it's very successful). On the menu today, heavy metal, in its simplest expression, rock, certainly muscular, but intrinsically authentic. The sharp riffs are polished and built on distorted sounds reminding the French scene of the 80s of Sortilège, Vulcain and other Titan. Add to this a French vocals- with sentences, rhymes and no grammatical mistakes - and you quickly understand what kind of audience this "N.D de l'Enfer" should meet.
With such a title on the other hand, nobody will be deceived on the goods. Thrash la Reine surfs on this concept around titles like 'Le Rigodon de l'Enfer', 'Les Trois Diables' or 'La Cage de Fer' telling the ordeal of a witch victim of the hunt in the North-East of the American continent. The subject oscillates between medieval atmospheres ('L'Étranger' and 'Wendigo') and funny rock à la 'Viens Donc Faire un Tour à Lambé' of Matmatah with 'La Chasse Galerie' and especially 'Au Chant de l'Alouette', a ritornello interpreted by Les Karrik in 1972 and entered in the Quebec folklore since.
The album is also punctuated by small acoustic interludes very interesting, like 'Une Heure Avant l'Aube', an airy guitar solo by Renaud Baril. The end of the album offers two calmer tracks, except for the final of the second one, which are 'Le Fantôme de l'Avare', a haunting mid tempo with a theatrical narration and 'Légende d'Antan', a track of more than seven minutes with a progressive construction and medieval sounds.
"Notre-Dame de l'Enfer" sounds a bit old-fashioned in terms of the trio's sound and Renaud Baril's very personal way of telling his stories. But this aspect is particularly endearing because the personality of the trio is very assertive. Baril's band exudes authenticity and their music has an almost mystical hold on the listener. The album takes full advantage of this with catchy riffs and heady melodies although sometimes simplistic, but in a clearly intentional traditional spirit. Fans of French metal and the bands mentioned above will enjoy it.